Meant to Be
by emmytsa
Summary: My version of how Season 3 should have started. Two people try to find their way back to each other and much drama ensues........This was my first fanfic ever so please be kind. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
Summary: My version of how Season 3 should've gone.**

**Chapter 1**

Danny McCoy walked into the newly remodeled Montecito Resort and Casino. It was still hard for him to believe so much had changed. The last six months had been a huge transition period for Danny. The loss of his father had been devastating and the days following the accident had been a blur. He barely remembered the funeral or the condolences of the many people who knew and respected his dad. He knew it had been beautiful and that everything had been taken care of. He knew she made sure of it.

Mary. As soon as Detective Cho told him the news he had become consumed with a need to see her. She would make everything okay. She would tell him that it was all a mistake. The pain of loss became almost unbearable when he realized she was gone. She had left for the vacation of a lifetime. A trip he wished he could have given her. Danny knew he had to tell her about his dad--that she needed to know immediately. Mary and his father had always had a very special relationship. She would be just as devastated as he was. In the end he wasn't the one to tell her. He could barely put one foot in front of the other when Mike finally helped him up to Ed's office. Ed was able to get a message to her as soon as the plane landed in LA to refuel and she was waiting at Danny's door when Ed dropped him off later that night.

Not long after the funeral Danny had been forced to leave his job as head of security in order to keep his father's construction business from going under. Since the Montecito was in a state of flux as the new owner took over and began demolition and remodeling, it wasn't hard for him to walk away. He struggled for a few months trying to relearn the business. His father had made a good name for himself in this town and it was important for Danny to make sure the company survived. Ever since he could remember his father had wanted him to join the family business. It made Danny sad to think that it had taken his death for that wish to come true. He tried not to think about that too often, but a few times in the last months the guilt had overcome him. He would be sitting in the trailer on one of the jobsites trying to work on permit applications or some other mundane task when the grief would hit him full force. As if she could sense his pain Mary always managed to show up at those moments. She would hold him and tell him how proud his father had been of him. He didn't know how he would have made it through this time without her. He also didn't know how he would make it through the rest of his life without her by his side.

Despite the initial resentment Mary's new boyfriend Jake had felt over her decision to rush back to Danny, their relationship had progressed. While Mary was always reluctant to discuss her relationship with Jake in Danny's presence, Jake made sure that Danny always knew what was going on. Whenever Danny would run into the two of them or Jake would drop Mary off to help with something at his Dad's house, Jake would make sure to tell Danny whenever he had planned something special for Mary—romantic dinners, expensive gifts and exotic holidays. At first Danny thought he just wanted another guy's opinion, but he finally figured out that it was Jake's way of marking his territory--letting Danny know that Mary was his and he could give her so much more than Danny ever could.

He knew Jake was right. Mary deserved more in life than Danny could ever give her. She was better off without him, but it didn't make it hurt any less. All those thoughts were soon forgotten as he spotted her across the casino. God, she was beautiful! Even now, almost a year after she had called off their engagement, she still managed to take his breath away. She looked to be having a serious conversation with someone. He couldn't tell who it was as they were partially hidden behind one of the columns in the lounge area outside the new Italian restaurant which had quickly become a staff favorite. Even from the side he could see her begin to worry her bottom lip and the lines in her forehead begin to crease. Danny recognized that as the first sign she was becoming agitated. As he approached she caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye and her face lit up with a huge smile. It was his smile--one he liked to pretend was meant only for him. His heart started beating faster as he got closer to her and he couldn't help the smile from covering his own face. He was grinning like an idiot just because he was near her. They stood there face to face for what seemed like hours just looking at each other. Suddenly, Danny was brought out of his reverie by someone clearing their throat. Mary looked down and away as if ashamed and suddenly Danny knew why. As he looked to the left he discovered the person Mary had been talking to.

"Danny, what brings you here?" Danny could tell they had been arguing about him by the sarcastic tone in Jake's voice.

"Hey, Jake. I actually came to talk to Mary. Mary, I wanted to see if you could come by some time this week and help me go through some of my Dad's stuff."

"Didn't you already take care of that?" Jake jumped in before Mary could answer.

"We went through the company documents and straightened out his bills, but I really need to go through all his personal belongings and start clearing things out."

Mary looked at Jake pointedly before turning to Danny.

"Of course I can help you."

"I wouldn't ask you, but I just don't know if I can bear doing it alone."

Jake could not help but roll his eyes and sigh in exasperation causing both Mary & Danny to look at him. Realizing his action had not gone unnoticed, he quickly looked towards the hostess then back to Mary.

"Our table's ready. We really should go." Jake spoke with annoyance as he grabbed Mary's upper arm to escort her away from Danny. Mary flinched slightly at the pressure and Jake quickly released her realizing what he'd done. Mary turned around to stop Danny's advancing form. Her hands on his chest and the pleading look in her eyes made him pause. Jake was still facing the other way, purposely avoiding Danny's gaze, either out of shame or anger.

Mary took a deep breath.

"It's okay. It was an accident," she said so that both men could hear. She leaned up and gave Danny a peck on the cheek as she softly whispered, "I'll call you in a little while." After that she looped her arm through Jake's and they walked towards the restaurant.


	2. Chapter 2

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 2 **

Over the next few weeks Mary and Danny worked on clearing out his dad's things. Danny had made the difficult decision to sell the house so all the personal items needed to be sorted and either stored or given to charity. They tried to work quickly to get the house ready to show, but it seemed they were constantly faced with reminders of their childhood. Photos, yearbooks, mementos, baseball cards, it seemed like every little thing had some sort of special memory associated with it.

On this particular afternoon they were going through boxes of old school photos and remembering the time Danny had almost been expelled for putting a frog down Charlotte Murphy's back. They were both laughing as Danny tried to explain his actions.

"I was just trying to teach her a lesson," Danny insisted.

"Oh? And what lesson might that be, Mr. McCoy?" Mary asked amusedly.

With his eyes downcast he simply said, "That anyone who messes with my girl has to deal with me."

Danny looked up at her intently for any reaction to his words. Mary looked away trying to hide the blush that was quickly spreading across her face. It all came back to her in a rush. Charlotte Murphy had told the girls in their freshman gym class that boys only liked Mary because they thought she was easy. Mary cried for days and refused to go to school until Danny finally got her to admit what happened. He held her that night and assured her everything would be okay. The people who mattered knew the truth. His reassurances helped with the heartache and the frog incident certainly kept Charlotte Murphy from making any future comments. 

They were saved from the awkward moment by the doorbell. Danny jumped up and ran downstairs to answer it.

They'd been having a lot of those lately—awkward moments. It was inevitable as they tried to get back to the friendship they had once had. An impossible fete considering both of them knew they'd never been just friends. There was always something more. And while both of them had become experts at hiding their true feelings, things had become twice as difficult since their failed romance.

When Mary began to hear voices and laughter from the first floor she decided to go check on Danny. As she made her way down the staircase she saw Danny seated at the table intently perusing what were obviously real estate contracts as his new realtor, Penny, leaned over him pointing something out and gently caressing his arm.

A wave of jealousy quickly hit Mary, taking her off guard.

_"Stop it!"_ She inwardly chastised herself. _  
"You have no right to be jealous. You have Jake, remember?"_

Mary plastered a smile on her face and headed into the dining room.

When Penny waltzed into Danny's life a few weeks before, Mary had tried desperately to like her. She had wanted Danny to find someone who could make him happy. Mary had even encouraged Danny to ask Penny out, but he had just shrugged and responded with a cryptic, "maybe." Her attempts had quickly ended as Penny did little to hide her disdain for Mary on the few occasions they had met. Now Mary simply tolerated her and waited for the day the house would sell and she would be out of their lives. Since Danny had shown little or no interest in Penny, Mary wasn't worried their relationship would actually go anywhere. Despite how much she disliked Penny, she actually felt a little sorry for her. She had done nothing but throw herself at Danny for the last few weeks with little results.

As she approached the table, Danny quickly stood up to greet her.

"Penny, you remember Mary? She's helping me box things up."

"Yes, of course, it's so good to see you again."

Penny's saccharine tone did nothing to betray her true feelings as she gave Mary a disapproving look. Mary ignored her and turned to Danny.

"Danny, I really need to go. I need to make sure everything is set up for the convention tomorrow and then Jake is taking me to that new restaurant at the Wynn."

Mary thought she saw disappointment flash across Danny's face, but it was quickly replaced with a look of resolve.

"Sure, I'll walk you out."

Danny guided Mary to the door with his hand on the small of her back. Mary glanced back to notice Penny making herself comfortable on the couch, indicating she had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

As they reached Mary's car she turned to face Danny. He reached out to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and let his hand linger on her face. He caressed her cheek and for a fleeting moment Mary thought he was going to kiss her and her pulse quickened in anticipation. Danny leaned in and softly touched his forehead to Mary's.

"Thank you so much for being here. I couldn't do any of this without you, " he softly whispered. 

"You're welcome," Mary managed in a slightly broken voice as she took a deep breath and a step back. She turned and got into her car, giving Danny one last wink before she put her sunglasses on.

Mary waited until she could no longer see him in the rearview mirror before she let the tears fall. She finally had to admit to herself the one thing she had been denying for months. She was still hopelessly in love with Danny McCoy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 3 **

Danny watched Mary drive away. He had wanted to kiss her so badly, but had stopped himself at the last second. He kept telling his brain that she was with Jake now and he needed to move on, but his heart just wouldn't listen. Spending these last few weeks with Mary had been wonderful. Their relationship had grown and they were now closer than ever and he desperately wanted more than the friendship she was offering. Despite her encouragement for him to start dating, he thought he sensed a bit of jealousy from her whenever Penny was around. He quickly discarded the thought as wishful thinking and headed back into the house.

He really wasn't up to dealing with Penny tonight. She was gorgeous, successful and she seemed like a sweet girl, but spending so much time with Mary lately had all but extinguished his desire to be with any other woman.

Danny's plans for tonight included hauling the boxes Mary had packed downstairs to the garage and sitting down in front of the game with a beer and a giant bowl of self-pity. As he walked back in the front door he realized Penny obviously had other ideas. She had removed her shoes and was currently curled up on his couch sipping a glass of wine.

"Alone at last." she purred.

Despite her numerous assets, Penny did have one major flaw. She could not take a hint.

In all the months since his Dad had died Danny had never even considered selling the house. Though he had only recently admitted it to himself, he'd always imagined growing old here. Sitting on the porch with a certain redhead watching their children play in the backyard. This was the life he wanted for himself after he came home from the war. Things had just taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way and he didn't know how to find his way back.

_Danny had been mowing the lawn on a rare morning he did not have to be at one of the jobsites when Penny walked up. She was closing on a house down the street and the previous owners had mentioned Danny might be interested in selling. He quickly dismissed that idea and told her in no uncertain terms that was not the case. She left her card and told him to call her if he changed his mind. He managed to run into her in the neighborhood several times over the next couple of weeks and every time she inquired about the house. _

Things had been particularly bad with the construction company after his dad's death. He had lost a lot of contracts from people who didn't have as much confidence in Danny's ability to run the business. Danny had already gone through most of his dad's savings just trying to meet construction deadlines on the jobs he still had. He'd made quite a good living as head of security at the Montecito, but without that steady income he'd been struggling to make ends meet. Danny had given up his apartment not long after he'd left the Montecito and just trying to maintain the business and pay the mortgage on the house was quickly draining his remaining funds. After meeting with his dad's accountant he discovered that property taxes would be due soon on the house and he had no way to pay them.

When Danny returned home that afternoon he felt totally lost. He'd been over all the numbers and he just couldn't figure out a way to make things work. He desperately needed to talk to Mary, but Jake had taken her to Hawaii to make up for the trip she'd missed a few months before. As he sat in his father's house he realized that he'd been fooling himself. There was no way he could keep this house. Without Mary in the picture it really didn't matter anyways. He dug through the drawer next to the phone until he found what he needed. He took a deep breath and dialed the number on the card.

"Listen, Penny. I'm really tired and I still have a lot to do."

"Oh, come on, Danny. You've been working all day. Why don't you sit with me and relax." Penny gave Danny her best puppy dog face.

Danny looked at her warily, "OK. I guess I can sit for a few minutes."

Danny sat down on the opposite end of the couch and Penny immediately set her wine glass down and scooted closer to him.

"Mary seemed really excited about her date," Penny said with false enthusiasm.  
"Her and Jake are so cute together, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess. Listen, can we talk about something else," Danny replied with just a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"We can talk about whatever you want," was her sultry response.

Her breath tickled Danny's ear as she began to nuzzle his neck.

Danny was so tired. For just a moment he wished he could let himself relax and enjoy the attention. What was wrong with him? Here was a beautiful woman who was obviously very interested in him and all he wanted was to tell her to stop.

Penny's hand moved to his leg and was slowly inching its way up his thigh. Danny quickly stood up.

"Look, Penny, I'm really tired and I just think this is a bad idea right now." Danny had moved to the other side of the room to distance himself from her.

"OK. I'll go, but just remember I'm here for you if you need me. I'll leave the contracts here so you can finish looking them over." She gathered her purse and headed out the door.

Once Penny was in her car she pulled out her cell phone and entered a now familiar number.

"It's not working," she said.

"----"

"I'm coming on as strong as I can. He's not going for it. We'll have to think of another way," she replied heatedly.

She listened intently to the person on the other end of the line.

"Okay. It'll take me a couple of days to get everything ready. I'll call you when it's all set up."

She disconnected the call and threw the phone across the car. Penny really hated doing this, but she didn't have a choice anymore.

Inside the house Danny sighed loudly and ran his hands down his face.

How did things get so messed up so fast? All he wanted was to be with Mary, but maybe he'd waited too long. He was sure that if he busted into her apartment and told her he needed her and asked her to leave Jake she would. The problem was he knew that wasn't fair. If Jake really was good for Mary then how could Danny deny her that happiness? He really wished there was someone he could talk to about this. He had always turned to Mary when he needed advice, but for obvious reasons he couldn't talk to her about this. He picked up the phone and dialed the only person he could think of.

"Hey, Sam, it's Danny. Can we get together? I really need to talk to you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 4**

"Okay, I think that's everything."

"Thanks, Mary. We can take it from here."

Mary had just finished going over her checklist with the convention staff at the hotel. The Montecito was hosting the Nevada Gaming Expo this year and it was important that everything be perfect. This was the first big event since the casino had been remodeled and the new owner insisted that it go off without a hitch.

Mary quickly walked back to her office to freshen up before her dinner with Jake. For some reason he was more excited than usual about tonight. When she had spoken with him earlier he'd told her he had a big surprise for her. She supposed any other girl would be giddy with anticipation, but Mary was simply dreading it. 

At first, Mary had been flattered by Jake's attention. Danny had never been a "flowers and candy" kind of guy, so having Jake shower her with gifts made her feel special. As time went on, though, she started to feel like Jake was trying to buy her affections, and that made her feel cheap. Maybe, she decided, she just wasn't a "flowers and candy" kind of girl.

Once Mary reached her office, she went to retrieve her purse from the desk drawer. She was distracted by all the pictures stuck beneath the glass of the desk. One photo in particular caught her eye. It was of her and Danny—taken after the Montecito Lancers had won the championship game. They were grinning from ear to ear, both Danny's arms wrapped tightly around her from behind. Mary remembered that day well. After the celebration concert, courtesy of Ed and the Black Eyed Peas, they'd gone back to Danny's apartment and done some celebrating of their own. For that one night things were perfect. Danny was so relaxed and seemed to want nothing more than to be with her. She actually let herself believe that everything could work out between them. It wasn't long before she realized that was never going to happen. Danny may have wanted her at that moment, but she just couldn't imagine him wanting her for the rest of his life.

Mary quickly brought herself out of her reverie. Jake was picking her up in the lobby in a few minutes and she didn't want to be late. He'd been losing his patience quite a bit lately. He didn't even bother to hide his frustration anymore at how much time she spent with Danny and Mary had stopped trying to explain her reasons since it only seemed to upset him more. Their relationship had become increasingly strained over the last few weeks and she wasn't sure where things between them were headed. How could she ever hope to have a healthy relationship with another man when she was still hung up on Danny?

Mary decided she needed to have a serious conversation with Jake and decide where they were going. She knew she could never survive without Danny in her life and if Jake couldn't accept that then things just weren't going to work out. 

She knew Jake was planning a special night to make up for their last argument. Mary turned to check herself in the mirror and shivered at the site of the finger shaped bruises on her upper arms. She quickly pulled on a sweater as she'd done for the last few days, hoping no one would comment on her choice of attire considering the 110 degree heat.

Mary was sure the first time had been an accident, especially since he'd done it right in front of Danny, but after the incident last Thursday she wasn't so sure.

_They'd been arguing again. Jake wanted her to fly to Aspen with him for the weekend, but she'd already promised Danny she'd help him prepare a presentation for a new project he wanted to bid on._

"Danny's a big boy, Mary. He needs to learn to start taking care of himself!"

"I've told you before, Jake. Danny is like family to me and right now he needs my help!"

"When are you going to realize that he's using you? He's done it your whole life. As soon as he doesn't need you anymore he'll cast you aside just like before."

Jake had gone right for the jugular and Mary gasped at the sting of his words.

As tears started to form in her eyes she quickly turned away, "I'm not having this conversation with you."

"DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME," Jake screamed as he grabbed her and turned her around. Mary winced as his fingers dug into her upper arms.

"Jake, you're hurting me," she cried.

His expression was unreadable as he let go of her arms and walked to the other side of the room. He stared out the window for a moment before he spoke in an even tone.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Mary sank slowly into a chair trying to make herself as small as possible. Long forgotten memories bubbled up to the surface and she couldn't help thinking about her father all those years ago. She visibly recoiled as Jake took two long strides towards where she sat and kneeled in front of her.

"Oh, God, what have I done? You're afraid of me now. I'm so sorry, Mary. It won't ever happen again. You have to believe me, baby."

Mary sat there in stunned silence as he laid his head in her lap and sobbed.

"Please forgive me!"

She'd forgiven him that night, but could not forget. After she'd left his house she'd cried most of the night. The need to call Danny overwhelmed her, but she was afraid of what he might do. If he tried to go after Jake he would probably end up in a mess of trouble--trouble he didn't need on top of everything else right now. Mary made a decision that night before she fell asleep. She had to give Jake one more chance. 

That was three days ago and the bruises had yet to fade. As she walked across the casino floor she became increasingly angry with herself. How could she have let him get away with that? She'd spent most of her early life being abused by her father because she thought she had no way to escape. Now that she was an adult she should know better. Despite his profuse apologies the fact remained—in the course of their six month relationship Jake had hurt her twice and that was two times too many. As she stepped into the car he'd sent for her she became more determined than ever. She needed to end things with Jake and she needed to do it tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 5**

Danny had been waiting in the small, out-of-the-way coffee shop for almost fifteen minutes when the bell on the door signaled Sam's arrival. She walked straight up to him and sat down.

"OK. I've got 20 minutes before my new whale gets here from Venezuela so start talking."

Danny chuckled, "Well hello to you too, Samantha."

Sam gave him a pointed look, "You really want to waste this time with small talk? Tell me what's going on."

Danny's expression changed and he put his head in his hands, elbows resting on the table.  
"It's about Mary."

"What about her? Is she alright? If he hurt her. . .," Sam's voice trailed off as she considered the possibilities in her head.

"What are you talking about? Who's trying to hurt her?" Danny asked anxiously.

Sam realized her mistake.

"No one," she quickly recovered. "I just thought there was something wrong."

Danny looked her in the eye for any sign that there was something going on he needed to know about. Sam matched his gaze with defiance—almost daring him to challenge her response. After a moment he shook his head and continued.

"You know Mary and I have been spending a lot of time together since my dad died and I've come to some decisions."

"What does this have to do with me?" Sam asked.

To say Sam was shocked when Danny called her yesterday was an understatement. She hadn't really spoken to him in months and she honestly had no idea why he would want to talk to her now.

"I guess I just needed someone to talk to--someone who knows Mary pretty well. Maybe this was a mistake," Danny started to get up--reaching for his wallet to leave a tip.

"Whoa there, big guy. You got me all the way over here so just spit it out!"

"I'm still in love with Mary," he said, his eyes suddenly finding the floor of the small café fascinating.

Sam started laughing and Danny looked at her as if she had grown two heads.

"Thanks, Sam, that's exactly the support I was looking for," he said as he started to walk away.

"Danny, wait. I'm sorry. Please come back."

He slowly made his way back to the table.

"Sit down please," Sam said, after she composed herself.

Danny lowered himself into the chair opposite her.

"I'm sorry. I just think it's hilarious that you're just now realizing this. The entire population of Vegas knows you and Mary are still crazy about each other."

Danny stared at her with his brows furrowed, a look of confusion on his face.

"I don't understand? How could everyone know? And what do you mean she's still crazy about me? Did she tell you that?" Danny fired off questions one after the other giving Sam little time to answer.

Once he finally stopped she reached out and stilled his hand which had begun to shred the napkins on the table.

"No, she hasn't told me that, but it's obvious in the way she talks about you--the way she lights up whenever you walk in the room."

Danny considered what she was saying.

"I've been wanting to tell her, but if she's happy with Jake I don't want to ruin that for her. Mary deserves the best and if he can give her that…"

"She's not happy with Jake," Sam blurted out before she could stop herself.

"How do you know?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

"A girl just knows these things. Look, what do you want for Mary more than anything?"

"I just want her to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted. It's why I didn't go after her when she gave me the ring back. I thought she deserved so much better than me."

"Well, all Mary has ever wanted in life is you. You make her happy, Danny."

Sam took a deep breath and continued, "I really shouldn't be telling you this, but it's obvious the two of you aren't going to be able to figure this out on your own. Mary gave the ring back because she was scared."

Sam put a hand up to stop Danny as he started to protest.

"She was afraid that you didn't feel the same way she did. She was afraid that you were clinging to her because she was safe and one day you would wake up and realize that you'd made a mistake. She was afraid of losing you altogether so she let you go first. When you didn't come after her, she thought it was because you realized she was right."

"God, I really screwed things up, didn't I? I knew back then I wanted to be with her forever--I just couldn't find the right words to tell her why."

"Do you have the right words now?" Sam asked.

"Yes, I think so," he replied

"Then tell her. I promise it's not too late," she said with sincerity.

Sam glanced at her watch and jumped up.

"OK. This episode of the Dr. Phil Show is over. I'm late." She grabbed her Palm Pilot and turned to leave.

Before she reached the door Danny called out to her.

"Hey, Sam! Thanks."

She put on her sunglasses preparing to step out into the late afternoon sun.

"Yeah, just don't tell anyone about this. I have a reputation to protect," and with that she was gone.

Danny smiled as he paid the check. He felt better than he had since before last Christmas. He quickly took out his cell phone and hit one on the speed dial.

Mary answered on the first ring, obviously recognizing his number on the caller ID.

"Hey."

"Hey, are you free tonight?" Danny quickly asked before he lost his nerve.

"I have to work until 10, but I'm free after that."

"Can you come by my dad's house? I really need to talk to you."

"Sure. Is everything okay?"

"Actually, everything is better than okay. I'll see you tonight."

Danny ended the call and walked out of the coffee shop a man on a mission. He had a million things to do before he talked to Mary tonight.

The first thing he needed to do was call Penny. He quickly dialed the number and waited for her to pick up.

"Hey, Danny. I was just thinking about you. I've got some incredible news!" She sounded excited.

"Listen, Penny, I've changed my mind. I want to take the house off the market."

He knew she would be upset, but at this point he really didn't care.

There was silence on the line for a few moments before she spoke.

"OK. Can you meet me at your house? We can talk when you get there."

Danny considered this for a moment. He really didn't have time to deal with her, but he guessed he owed it to Penny since she was losing the sale. He decided he would get the meeting out of the way so he could concentrate on Mary.

"Sure. I'll be there in an hour."


	6. Chapter 6

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 6**

Mary couldn't help smiling as she sat in her office. Danny sounded so happy earlier on the phone. For the hundredth time since his call she wondered what he wanted to talk about. It probably had something to do with his dad's business. They had worked all weekend to put the finishing touches on a bid for a major development contract in Henderson. Maybe McCoy Construction had won the bid. This new contract could be the major boost the company needed to get out of the slump it had been in since Larry's death.

As Mary finished going over the details for the upcoming Rob Thomas concert, her mind wandered. She had tried all day to block the previous evening from her thoughts, but as she contemplated telling Danny her new relationship status, she couldn't help but remember what had transpired the night before.

_Jake's surprise turned out to be encased in a blue Tiffany's box. Despite her insistence that they needed to talk first, Jake carefully removed the lid to reveal a beautiful heart key chain. Attached to the silver heart was an ordinary house key._

"I want you to move in with me," Jake said.

Mary could do little to hide her shock at his statement. Of all the things she'd been expecting tonight, this was not even close to being on the list.

"Jake, I can't move in with you."

"Why not? We've been dating for six months now and I want to take the next step. I want you to be with me, Mary. I love you."

Mary was speechless. How could he think things were even remotely stable enough between them to take such a monumental step? She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. It was now or never.

"Jake, I've been thinking a lot about us and I just don't think I can do this. I've got some personal things I need to work through before I can commit to anyone."

"By personal things you mean Danny." Jake's reply was venomous.

"Not everything is about Danny and not everything is about you, Jake," she stated with more confidence than she felt.

She continued talking before he had a chance to stop her.

"_You were so wonderful to me in the beginning and I desperately wanted things to work out. I was looking to fill a void and I know now that it wasn't fair to start a relationship with you at such a low point in my life. I'm sorry."_

"'In the beginning,' what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jake spat.

Mary unconsciously rubbed her upper arms. The action did not go unnoticed by Jake.

"I told you I was sorry for that. I can't believe you're using that as an excuse to end things."

"It's not an excuse. It's just part of the reason. You have no idea the things I've experienced in my life and I just can't be with someone who loses control like that," her voice was starting to shake and she was willing herself not to cry.

Mary couldn't identify the look that passed through Jake's eyes, but it frightened her. He reached for his wallet and pulled out a fifty--more than enough to pay for the two untouched glasses of wine they'd managed to order before the evening quickly derailed.

"Let's go. I'll drive you home."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Mary said as she hesitantly stood up from the table.

"What? You actually think I'm going to hurt you?"

"I didn't say that. I just think it would be better if I took a cab." 

_She headed towards the door and out into the Vegas night._

Mary never looked back as she walked the half a block to the taxi stand. She didn't realize Jake had followed her until she reached the curb and turned to wait in line. She was startled as she heard his voice.

"I'll give you some time to think about things, but I will not accept that this is over."

Any sympathy she had felt for Jake was quickly being replaced by anger and annoyance.

"Jake, I'm not going to change my mind. Please just let it go."

"You may think that Danny McCoy hung the moon and stars, Mary, but he's just a man. He'll make a mistake and he'll hurt you. I can almost guarantee it."

"Where to, Miss?" The valet's question interrupted any reply Mary was about to give.

"The Montecito," Mary spoke firmly as she stepped into the cab.

"Goodbye, Jake," she said right before the cab door slammed.

She missed the look of pure hatred that passed across his face. She also missed the phone call he made as soon as her taxi was out of sight. 

Mary was so lost in thought that the ringing of her cell phone caused her to jump.

"Mary Connell," she answered.

"Mary, it's Sam."

"Oh, hey, Sam. I have your tickets."

"Great. I need to get them ASAP."

"OK. I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes."

Mary didn't think she'd be coming back upstairs after she met with Sam so she shut down her computer and headed for the casino floor.

Sam was talking on her cell phone when Mary approached.

"Yes, Mr. Remenko, I'm picking up your tickets right now. I'll have them to you within the hour." Sam quickly disconnected the call.

"Hey, how are things going with that new whale?" Mary knew Sam had been stressing for days about Mr. Remenko's impending arrival.

"He's not even here yet and I'm already annoyed. He better gamble big."

"I'm sure he will. Doesn't he own a small country or something?"

"Actually, it's an island. Are those the tickets?" Sam motioned to the envelope Mary held in her hand.

"Yep--front row center--just like you asked. How much do you love me?"

Sam smiled, "You are such a lifesaver. Are you off now?"

"In about an hour. I need to check some things out backstage – make sure everything's ready for the sound check tomorrow before I head to Danny's."

Sam started grinning, "You're going to Danny's?"

Mary couldn't believe she'd said that out loud!

"Yes. He called earlier and said he needed to talk to me about something."

"Hmm--interesting."

Mary noticed Sam's look. It was the look of someone who knew more than they were telling.

"What do you know, Sam?" Mary asked.

"I know nothing. Did you tell him about you and Jake?"

"No, not yet. Besides, I doubt he'd even care."

Sam rolled her eyes, "You know damn well he cares. The two of you have been dancing around each other for months and it's time you told him how you feel."

"What if he doesn't feel the same way?"

"Believe me, I talked to him earlier today and he definitely feels the same way."

"You met with Danny? What did he say? Why didn't you tell me? You didn't tell him about Jake did you?"

"Geez, Mary, take a breath. I didn't tell him that you broke up with Jake, but I might have hinted that he still had a chance with you."

Mary was quiet as she processed Sam's confession.

"I just want him to be sure, Sam."

"Believe me, he's sure. The question is, are you?"

"I've been sure since the fourth grade."

"Then all that's left is for you to tell him—and sounds to me like tonight is the perfect opportunity."

Their conversation was interrupted by Sam's cell phone ringing.

"I've got to take this. Call me tomorrow and give me all the details."

Mary stood there dumbfounded as she watched Sam leave. Danny still wanted her. She couldn't believe it. She'd thought she'd lost him for good. She hurried through the rest of her tasks, anxious to see Danny.

Mary was a nervous wreck by the time she arrived at Danny's house. She couldn't believe what was about to happen. By the end of the night she and Danny could be back together—something she only allowed herself to imagine in her dreams.

She took a deep breath and knocked. After a few moments she heard the locks disengage and the door slowly opened. Mary was not prepared for what she saw. Standing before her, dressed only in a sheet, was Penny. Confused and almost dazed, she looked past Penny into the living room. Lying in front of the glowing fireplace on a makeshift pallet was a sleeping Danny, his nudity only partially hidden by a quilt.


	7. Chapter 7

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 7**

"Where could she be?" Danny thought to himself.

He had searched everywhere for Mary. He'd called her apartment and cell phone repeatedly but only managed to reach her voice mail. After leaving a series of messages begging her to call him, he'd driven by her place just to make sure she really was out. He'd been up and down the strip a dozen times and called everyone he could think of who might know where she could be. Of course he'd called Sam as soon as he left his house hoping Mary had contacted her. While Sam had not heard from Mary, he was forced to endure an irate rant about his ability to screw everything up, during which Sam revealed Mary's break-up with Jake. He now knew he could cross the phone call to Jake off the list.

Danny was at a loss as to where she might be and he was starting to get very worried. If things had gone the way he'd planned he would be at home in front of a fire with Mary snuggled up next to him. Danny was starting to believe they were cursed. He'd hoped this night would mark the beginning of the rest of their lives together. Instead it might turn out to be the end of his whole world--all because of Penny. What the hell was going on? Why would she do something like this? Danny's mind raced as he drove slowly through Mary's old neighborhood, keeping his eyes focused intently for any sign of her.

_  
"Ugh! I'm never drinking again" Danny thought to himself as he slowly drifted back to consciousness. He tried desperately to remember why he'd felt it necessary to get drunk anyway. Danny ran through the events of the day in search of a reason for his current condition._

He'd met with Sam who had basically told him to get his butt in gear if he wanted Mary back. Danny remembered he was elated at the news Mary might still want him. He'd planned a romantic evening at his house during which he was determined to beg her for another chance. Things became fuzzy after that. Had Mary turned him down? Was that why he'd drunk himself into oblivion? He struggled to sit up from what was obviously the floor of his living room. The first thing Danny realized when he reached an upright position was that gravity was a scary thing, and the second was that he seemed to be missing his clothes.

As he processed this new found information he heard someone speaking.

"We're a little busy right now," the familiar voice said. What was Penny doing here? He wished he could remember what the hell had happened.

He took a deep breath and slowly turned his head towards the noise. The sight that greeted him sent his heart straight into his throat. Standing at the door in a similar state of undress was Penny, and just beyond her was Mary, a look of utter devastation completely encompassing her beautiful face.

"No, no, no, God, please no!" Danny screamed inside his head not trusting himself to speak.

"I'm sorry," Mary spoke softly, her voice breaking, "I didn't mean to interrupt."

With those words she was gone. Danny jumped to his feet to follow her, stumbling as a wave of nausea overwhelmed him.

"Mary, WAIT," he finally screamed.

Before he could reach the door Penny slammed it and turned to face him.

"Get out of my way!" Danny pushed her aside and opened the door.  


_He heard the tires of Mary's car screech in her desperate attempt to flee and only caught a glimpse of her taillights as she turned the corner at the end of the street._

"Let her go, Danny."

"What did you do?" His voice was menacing as he towered over Penny, trapping her between the doorframe and his body.

"What are you talking about? You were there, too," she replied in a nonchalant tone.

He turned away from her searching for his clothes. "I don't remember anything."

"You did have quite a bit of champagne."

"Champagne? Why would we be drinking champagne?"

"We were celebrating the offer on the house. It's quite a bit more than we were asking."

Danny stopped his search and stared at her.

"Yesterday may be fuzzy, but I am more than sure I told you I wanted to take the house off the market. Why would I be celebrating an offer?"

"You were having second thoughts," Penny agreed, "but once you saw the amount of the offer, you knew selling was the right thing to do. We had some champagne, one thing led to another… You were magnificent by the way." Her tone was matter-of-fact, but her head cocked to the side as she glanced at his backside appreciatively.

"You're lying," he said through gritted teeth as he finally located his jeans and pulled them on. 

"_I don't know what you did to me, but I know there is no way in hell I would sleep with you willingly."_

"Wow, Danny, you really know how to make a girl feel special," she deadpanned.

Danny ignored her comment and reached for his shoes.  


"_You must have drugged me."_

Penny was silent for a moment and Danny realized he'd hit the nail right on the head. He turned to look at her and was met with a smirk.

"What are you going to do? Tell the police that I took advantage of you? You're a 6'4" Marine, Danny. Do you actually think they're going to buy that?"

Pulling a t-shirt over his head, Danny rushed past her and out the door, grabbing his car keys on the way. As he hurried across the lawn towards his car he yelled back at her.

"I don't know what you're up to, but I will find a way to make you pay for this."

As she watched the Camaro roar down the street, Penny sighed and shook her head.

To herself, she thought, "I'm sorry, Danny, but you have no idea who you're dealing with."

That was three hours ago and he had yet to find Mary. Suddenly, he caught sight of a familiar car parked on the side of the road near a metal railing. Instantly, Danny knew where she was. He slammed on the brakes and left a trail of tire marks as he turned his car completely around and pulled up to the curb behind Mary's car.

As Danny carefully made his way into the concrete culvert that led to one of the few greenbelts in the area he clung to a thread of hope.

"If she came here, then she wanted me to find her."


	8. Chapter 8

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 8**

_When Mary was thirteen, her father decided to pack up their things and move them to a house miles away from the McCoy residence. Mary cried for a week when he told her the news. His late night visits to her room had become more frequent and she didn't know how she would survive without Danny close by. After they were settled in their new home, Mary would sneak out and run the six miles to Danny's house. She would use her last bit of energy to climb the tree outside his bedroom window and knock._

Danny would always make sure they were up before sunrise and would take her home perched on the handlebars of his bike. When her father figured out what she was doing, he would find her somewhere along the route and drag her back home. He had even gone so far as to knock on the McCoy door in the middle of the night demanding her return. He forbade her from going further than their backyard without his permission and told her she was not allowed to see Danny outside of school.

One weekend while her father was at work, Danny showed up at her house with a look of determination. He walked through the house and out the back door without a word.

"I want to show you something," he finally said as he crawled through the loose board in the back fence and held it out of the way for Mary to pass through. They walked down the hill into the sparse greenbelt that ran behind her neighborhood. It didn't take long for the area to open into a series of culverts which fed into large concrete pipes. The pipes ran under the road and emptied into a canyon overlooking the entire city.

"From here my house is a lot closer. I figured we could meet here and no one would be able to find us."

Mary looked out over the canyon. "Thank you," she whispered, tears in her eyes.

"For what?"

"For finding this place—for taking care of me."

Danny looked down embarrassed. "I just want you to be safe."

"You're the best friend ever." Mary leaned over and kissed his cheek, smiling as the blush spread across his face.

It was in that very spot Danny found her—curled up on her side staring out at the twinkling lights of the city.

"God, I was an idiot sending you out here by yourself all those years ago."

"I was safer here than I was at home." She didn't sound startled by his voice so he knew she'd been expecting him.

"Mary, I'm so sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. We're not together. You're free to sleep with whoever you like." Her eyes never left the distant lights of the strip.

"Yeah, the problem is I haven't wanted to sleep with anyone but you in a long time."

Tears glistened in the moonlight as they fell down Mary's cheeks. Danny took her continued silence as an opportunity to go on.

"I don't remember what happened."

"You expect me to believe that?" Her voice sounded hollow

"No, but it's the truth. I think Penny must have drugged me. It's the only explanation I can come up with."

"Why would she do that?" Mary's voice was barely a whisper.

"I don't know. All I know is I had this incredible night planned for us, Mary, and the next thing I remember is waking up naked with the Marine Corps Band doing field drills in my head."

Mary still had not looked at him so he sat against the opposite wall of the pipe and continued.

"I was going to make you dinner--I bought all the ingredients for your favorite dessert. I wanted to tell you how much I missed you and how much I need you in my life."

Mary could no longer contain her quiet sobs.

Danny's heart was breaking and the tears he'd been trying hard to keep contained spilled slowly down his face. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Mary, please let me hold you," he begged.

Mary hesitated for only a moment before she launched herself across the pipe and into his arms, burying her face in his chest. Danny held onto her for dear life breathing in her scent.

"I love you so much. You have to believe that I would never do anything to hurt you like that. When I looked up and saw your face…I couldn't speak, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't believe I'd lost you again."

Without removing her head from his chest she spoke, "Deep down I knew there had to be some other explanation, but seeing you like that with her...I couldn't focus on anything else. I just had to get away."

"I know, baby. I'm so sorry." Danny held her tighter and planted soft kisses at her hairline.

They sat that way for what seemed like hours--Danny against the concrete wall, Mary nestled between his legs, their arms wrapped tightly around each other, staring out into the beautiful Vegas night.

Finally, Mary broke the silence.

"You were actually going to make crème brulè?"

"Well, I was hoping you would help me. I bought the torch and everything."

Mary quickly sat up and looked him straight in the eyes.  
"Promise me you will never try to use that thing without adult supervision."

"Ha. Ha. Are you making fun of my cooking abilities?"

"No, of course not. I'm making fun of your ability to accidentally set things on fire."

Mary's tone was completely serious and Danny chuckled as he brought his hand up to caress her face.

"I love you, Mary Connell."

The look in Danny's eyes was one of complete devotion. Mary couldn't help but smile as she slowly moved closer to him, her forehead now resting against his. When their lips were only a breath apart she spoke softly.

"I love you too, Danny McCoy."

Danny didn't hesitate before the kiss. They'd wasted far too much time and he wasn't willing to wait one more second. While the kiss started out slow, each of them simply enjoying the feel of the other once again, it quickly grew frenzied. Danny pulled Mary closer to him, desperate for more contact. As she scooted onto her knees to try and face him fully she yelped in pain. Danny immediately stopped.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" he asked panicked.

"No, but something did."

As they both looked down they noticed a spot of blood oozing from a small cut on Mary's bare leg.

"I guess I'm not really dressed for rolling around in a drainage pipe," she said looking down at the silver cocktail dress she'd worn to work that day.

"Yeah, this isn't exactly how I pictured this moment either. Let's get out of here."

Danny held her hand as she got to her feet and then stood up himself. As Mary reached down to dust off her legs she noticed Danny sway and reach a hand out quickly to steady himself.

"Danny, are you okay?" Mary's voice was filled with concern.

"I'm fine. I think I just stood up too fast."

"You're not fine. You obviously have some sort of drug in your system and we need to find out what it is. I'm taking you to the hospital."

"Mary, I'm sure it's just a lingering effect. I'll be fine in a few hours."

"No, we're going to the hospital and I'd think twice about arguing with me. Besides, I have a lot planned for you and I need to make sure you're in peak physical condition." 

"What kinds of things?" He asked, his voice suddenly taking on a higher pitch.

The sly smile that spread across her face made Danny's spine tingle. She turned from him and sauntered into the night, hips swaying from side to side as she made her way back to the cars.

"Mary, wait, what kinds of things?" Danny was helpless to do anything but follow.


	9. Chapter 9

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.**

**Author's Note: I'm sure nothing in this chapter is medically accurate so let's all just suspend reality for a moment and go with the flow. **

**Chapter 9**

Not wanting to be separated, they left Mary's car in a nearby parking lot, and drove straight to Summerlin Hospital where one of Danny's Marine buddies was finishing up his residency in the ER.

"Well, you were right, Danny. We found traces of flunitrazepam in your system."

"Translation, Dave?"

"Rohypnol. It's generally known as the 'date rape' drug."

At those words Mary grew pale and sank into the chair she'd been sitting in before the doctor arrived.

From his position on the exam table, Danny reached down and took her hand in his as Dr. Watts continued.

"Unfortunately in this situation, it's very difficult for us to determine if an assault actually occurred. I didn't find any obvious signs of trauma to your body and there were no traces of biological fluids. I don't usually do this, but if I had to make a guess, I'd say she just wanted you to think something happened. I am going to recommend, however, that you come back in three months for a follow up HIV test."

Danny glanced at Mary who continued to stare at the floor, processing the information the doctor had given them.

"Danny, I do have to say you're very lucky. Rohypnol can be extremely dangerous-- sometimes even lethal--especially when mixed with alcohol."

"Will he be alright?" Mary whispered as she finally found her voice.

"He should be fine. The nausea and dizziness should subside in the next few hours as the drug works its way out of his system. Just try to take it easy."

"Thanks, Dave, I really appreciate it," Danny said shaking his hand.

"You're sure you don't want me to contact the police?"

"No, I want to handle this myself."

"I understand. It was good seeing you. I just wish it had been under better circumstances. Try not to be a stranger."

"I'll try."

"It was nice to finally meet you, Mary," Dr. Watts said as he reached the door.

"You too," was all she could manage.

Mary had not spoken since they'd left the hospital. She knew her silence was making Danny nervous, but she couldn't stop thinking about what the doctor had said.

"It just doesn't make any sense. Why would Penny go to all the trouble to drug you if she wasn't going to do anything?" Mary finally voiced her thoughts out loud.

"Maybe she just wanted to cause problems between us. You know she's been jealous of you from day one."

"I didn't think you noticed that," she said quietly.

"I notice everything where you're concerned."

Stunned by his admission, Mary went back to her thoughts.

After a few moments, she rubbed her temples, trying to relieve some of the pressure that had settled in her head since they left the hospital.

"You okay, sweetie?"

"Yeah. I've just got a headache. I think the whole evening is finally catching up with me."

"We'll be at your place soon. I think we could both use a good night's sleep."

As soon as she turned the key and opened the door Mary headed for the medicine cabinet. After downing some aspirin and a glass of water, she slowly moved her head from side to side, trying to relieve some of the tension. Danny watched her from the doorway for a moment before walking up behind her. With firm, but gentle pressure, he began massaging her shoulders, shadowing the movement of his hands with feather soft kisses across her skin. She sighed in contentment and Danny took that as a sign to continue. He gently pushed her hair to one side, trying to gain better access. As he moved around her body, hands and lips never leaving her skin, he placed soft kisses across her collarbone and up the side of her neck. His hands slid gently down her arms taking her sweater with them. As more of her skin was revealed to him he slowly moved his mouth to her shoulder, intent on giving equal attention to every inch of her body.

Mary's knees threatened to buckle when she felt Danny's hot breath on her skin. As strong hands moved her sweater slowly down her arms, Mary knew she should stop him, but she was having trouble remembering why. The sudden loss of Danny's lips on her and his sharp intake of breath brought her crashing back to reality. She hesitantly glanced at his face as she quickly tried to pull her sweater back over her shoulders.

"How did that happen?" Mary could tell he was barely containing his anger as he stared at the bruises on her arms.

"Did he do that?" There was no question as to who he meant.

"Danny, it's over—it's never going to happen again. Please just let it go."

Danny was across the apartment and out the front door before she could finish.

"NO, DANNY, STOP!" Mary raced across the lawn and stopped him just as he reached his car.

"I'm not going to let him get away with this, Mary."

"Danny, please don't go. He's not worth it. I just want him out of our lives," she pleaded with him.

Danny put both hands on the hood of the car. Taking deep breaths, he was trying hard to get his anger under control. Mary put her hand on his shoulder and began rubbing what she hoped were soothing circles. As she felt his muscles relax under her ministrations, she wrapped her arms around him from behind and laid her head against his back.

He rested his arms across hers and took a few more calming breaths.

After a few minutes Danny turned around and looked at her.

"How could you not tell me about this?"

Mary tried hard not to let the tears fall as she struggled through her explanation.

"I knew how upset you would be. I was afraid that if you did something to Jake he would come after you."

Danny opened his mouth to argue but she stopped him with a wave of her hand.

"Maybe not physically, but he has so much money and influence... You had enough going on in your life and you didn't need to worry about anything else. I guess I just didn't want you to feel like you had to take care of me."

"I like taking care of you," he said as he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Well, maybe from now on we could take care of each other," she replied hesitantly, not meeting his gaze.

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Mary. You've been taking care of me for years."

When she didn't respond he held her face in his hands and forced her to look at him.

"Promise you won't ever keep anything like this from me again," his voice was soft but serious.

"Promise you won't go after Jake," she countered.

"I won't go after him now, but if he ever comes near you again, Mary, I won't hesitate."

"Deal."

Mary smiled and laced her hands behind his neck. Danny kissed the tip of her nose and then wrapped his arms around her, burying his head in the crook of her neck. They stayed that way for a few moments, each of them enjoying the feel of the other.

"What are you going to do about Penny?" Mary finally asked.

"I don't know and I really don't want to think about it tonight. I don't want to think about anything but you."

Danny pulled back so he could look into her face.

"Let's go back inside. I think we have a little unfinished business to attend to," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Maybe we should wait. The doctor did say you should take it easy."

"No, no, no. There will be no more waiting. I'm sure the good doctor will understand the extenuating circumstances involved here."

Mary giggled as Danny scooped her up into his arms and headed back inside.

Neither one of them noticed the car parked across the street or the person inside who had been watching the entire scene.


	10. Chapter 10

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 10**

Mary was having the most amazing dream. She was lying on a beach--the bright sun shining down on her and a glorious breeze wafting by. She could feel Danny's hands softly caressing her bare legs as he kissed his way up her thigh.

"Mmmmm," she moaned. 

Danny's rough chuckle vibrated against her leg and sent tingles all the way down to her toes.

"Wake up sleeping beauty," his voice broke through her slumber.

Mary slowly opened her eyes to a smirking Danny. Unfortunately, unlike the one in her dream, this Danny was wearing way too many clothes.

Her mouth instantly formed a pout and Danny chuckled again.

"Why are you dressed? What time is it?"

"It's almost 6AM. I've got to head to the Talavera jobsite. We're way behind and I want to see if I can get some of the paperwork caught up before the guys get there and I have to start kicking some butt."

"What are we going to do about my car? It's still on the other side of town."

"Do you think one of the girls could pick you up this morning? We can go get it later when I take you to a late lunch."

Mary beamed as she sat up with her back against the headboard, "You're taking me to lunch?"

"I need to come by and talk to Ed about some things. I think we need to figure out as soon as possible what Penny is up to," Danny said seriously, letting the implications of that statement hang in the air between them.

Being with Danny last night had been so wonderful that for a few moments this morning Mary had completely forgotten about the incident with Penny.

She quickly shook off the dread that was starting to build in the pit of her stomach.

"Okay. I'll see you later then?"

"I'll be there." Danny smiled; relieved she was handling everything so well.

He gave her a quick kiss on the mouth before heading out the door.

Later that day Danny walked into the Montecito. One of the things he missed most about not working at the casino was not having access to its resources. He hated having to rely on other people, but in this case he had no choice. He would do anything to protect Mary and that included swallowing his pride and asking Ed for help.

Lost in thought, Danny rounded a bank of slot machines and ran straight into Mike, literally.

"Whoa, Buddy! Long time no see. The construction business must be keeping you pretty busy, huh?"

"Among other things," Danny replied cryptically.

"Listen, Mike, is Ed around?"

"Yeah, he should be upstairs. You thinkin' about coming back, man?"

"No, but I could use both of your help with a little problem."

They both headed through the door marked "Employees Only" and proceeded upstairs to the security room. Having seen Danny's arrival on the monitors, Ed was waiting in his office.

"Glad to see you finally came to your senses," he said with his back to the door.

"Excuse me?" Danny was confused.

"Well, aren't you here to beg for your old job back?"

Danny shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Sorry to disappoint you, Ed, but my visit has nothing to do with business."

"Then why are you wasting my time? I've got a casino to run and in case you hadn't heard, I'm a little short-staffed."

Danny ignored the jab and tried his best to explain the sordid details of the last twenty-four hours.

When he was finished there was silence for a moment before Mike spoke.

"So, you and that realtor never hooked up before? I thought you said she was all over you?"

"She was, but I wasn't interested," Danny replied.

"What's wrong with you, man? She was hot," he blurted out.

"…And obviously psycho! You need to focus, Mike. Besides, I just told you I'm back with Mary now."

"Sorry. I was just trying to possibly understand her motivation."

"Yeah, whatever." Danny's patience was starting to wane.

"I want to know if you can do some research on Penny. See if she has anything in her history that would give me a clue as to why she would do something like this."

"Maybe you just have that kind of effect on women."

"I knew this was a mistake," Danny said, rising from his seat to pace the length of the office.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, man. I was just giving you a hard time."

Danny stopped and ran both hands through his hair. Sighing, he turned to Mike.  
"This is serious, Mike. I'm not worried about me, but this girl obviously has issues. What if she tries to hurt Mary?"

Mike sobered immediately, realizing the seriousness of the situation.

Throughout this whole exchange Ed remained silent, obviously running through all the possibilities in his head. Things had been strained between them the last few months, but Danny hoped they could put that aside for now.

After a few moments Danny asked hesitantly, "So, Ed, can you help me out?"

"Yeah, kid, we'll do some digging. You just take care of Mary."

"I will," the relief was evident in Danny's voice as he shook Ed's hand.

"We'll let you know as soon as we find something out."

Danny felt lighter as he walked through the casino looking for Mary. He knew with Ed on the case this Penny situation would be resolved in no time. He spotted Mary standing near the front desk writing on her clipboard.

"Come here often?" he asked doing his best Rico Suave impression.

"You know if you're going to woo me you'd better get some new material," she replied without turning around.

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder.

"I should warn you. I'm expecting my boyfriend any minute," she teased.

"Well, he'll just have to wait in line."

Mary giggled as Danny's kisses tickled her neck. She slowly turned around in his arms so she could get a better look at him.

"How'd it go?"

"Good. Ed's going to look into it. So where would you like to go for lunch?" Danny quickly changed the subject.

"Lucky Burger!" She yelled excitedly.

"Are you serious? I thought you'd want to go somewhere nice."

"I've been craving Lucky Burger for weeks, but if you wanted to go somewhere fancy…"

"Nope--Lucky Burger sounds great to me. I'm just happy you're still such a cheap date."  
Danny moved quickly to avoid her playful smack, almost taking out the large flower arrangement near the exit door.

"You're going to pay for that comment later, Mister," Mary tried to sound serious, but could do little to hide her smile.

"Oh, I'm counting on it," he replied as he kissed her quickly and led her to the car.


	11. Chapter 11

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.**

**Chapter 11**

An urgent phone call from Ed had ended Danny and Mary's afternoon outing at the Lucky Burger. They were currently headed back to the Montecito in Danny's car.

"I'm sorry we had to cut our lunch short." Danny had been looking forward to spending the afternoon with Mary.

"It's okay, sweetie. Ed sounded really anxious to see you. Do you think he found something on Penny?" Mary tried not to let on how nervous she was. During the phone call Ed insisted they return to the casino immediately. When Mary mentioned they needed to pick up her car, Ed simply repeated his earlier command. And it had been a command. There was no other way to put it.

"I hope so. I'm looking forward to putting this whole mess behind us so we can get on with our lives," Danny responded sincerely as he brought her hand to his lips.

Once they reached the lobby they were met by two uniformed police officers and another man--Ed following close behind.

"I told you this wasn't necessary," Ed yelled angrily at the officers.

"Danny McCoy?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Mr. McCoy, I'm Detective Sandoval with the Las Vegas Police Department," the third man introduced himself.

"How can I help you, Detective?"

"We're placing you under arrest, sir. Would you please turn around and put your hands on the counter?"

"Arrest? For what?" Danny asked astonished while slowly complying with the officer's request.

"Suspicion of murder."

"Danny, what's going on?" Mary's voice was panicked.

"I don't know," Danny replied as one of the officers placed him in handcuffs. "Who was murdered?"

"The victim's name was Penelope Posin."

"That's not possible! Ed, tell them this is a mistake," Mary yelled.

"They have a warrant, kiddo. There's nothing I can do," the older man responded.

"Ed, someone's setting me up for this," Danny insisted.

"I've got Mike on it and I've already called Len Heymann."

Tears were streaming down Mary's face as the detective read Danny his rights.

"Do you understand your rights?"

"Yeah," Danny spoke somberly.

Before the officers could escort him out of the hotel, Danny turned to Mary who immediately threw her arms around his neck, holding onto him for dear life.

"Baby, everything's going to be okay," Danny's voice was reassuring as he nuzzled the side of her face, cursing the handcuffs that prevented him from holding her.

Mary tried desperately to stop her tears from falling, but to no avail. Danny traced the moisture with soft kisses, stopping when he reached her mouth. He hesitated only a moment before touching his lips to hers. The kiss was filled with so much hope and passion that it left Mary breathless and sobbing.

Danny pulled back and looked at her heartbroken face.

"Mary, look at me," he demanded. Once her eyes met his, he spoke with fierce determination, "I promise you that nothing is going to keep us apart ever again. I love you and I'm going to spend everyday of my life showing you how much."

Mary buried her head in Danny's chest and continued to sob, her hands fisted tightly in his t-shirt. Danny gave his former boss a pleading look. Ed gently pried Mary's hands from Danny's shirt, holding her to his chest as the officers led the younger man away.

"Don't say a word, kid. We'll meet you at the station."

Danny sat in the interrogation room waiting for his attorney. Danny felt confident if anyone could help him it would be Len Heymann. The door opened and the former mob lawyer stepped inside.

"Well, Danny, I'm going to be honest with you. It doesn't look good."

"I didn't do it, Mr. Heymann."

"I'm not saying you did, but they have evidence to suggest otherwise."

"What kind of evidence?"

"Your prints on the murder weapon, for one."

"What? What murder weapon," Danny asked in disbelief.

"A baseball bat found at the scene. They also have a witness who says you threatened Ms. Posin last night."

"Let me guess, my nosy neighbor Mrs. Purdy?" Danny rolled his eyes as he thought of the woman who lived across the street from his Dad's house.

"Where were you this morning?" Len began, ignoring Danny's comment.

"I was with Mary until 6:00 this morning and then I was at one of the jobsites--the Talavera Apartments in North Las Vegas-- until after 2:00PM."

"Did anyone see you there?"

"I had a meeting with two of my subcontractors at 8:00AM. The rest of the crew showed up about 9:00 o'clock."

"Did anyone see you between 6:00AM and 8:00AM?" Len was zeroing in on a time frame and Danny realized this must have been when Penny was killed.

"I don't know. Is that when they think she was killed?"

"Yes. Apparently, her watch took a blow and stopped at 6:52."

"Where?" Danny asked dazed.

"They're not sure, but her body was found in a dumpster at another McCoy construction jobsite," Len glanced at his notes, "the Farlow Building."

"That's miles from Talavera," Danny insisted.

"Yeah, but you could have left Mary's at 6:00 and had plenty of time to kill Penny before your 8:00 o'clock meeting."

Danny sighed and put his head in his hands. This whole thing was a nightmare. Whoever had set him up had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure everything pointed to Danny.

"If I'm going to help you, the first thing I need to know is everything about your relationship with this girl. Ed filled me in on what happened last night, but I want you to start from the beginning."

He proceeded to tell Len the details of the last few months leading up to the events of the previous evening.

Len was quiet for a moment and Danny took that as a bad sign.

"I didn't do it," Danny said again through gritted teeth.

"I believe you, but it's going to take a miracle to convince the cops of that. You've got no alibi, your prints are on the murder weapon and some people might consider what happened last night a possible motive."

Danny's mood instantly changed from one of disbelief to anger.

"I don't know why, but someone is setting me up and I'd bet money whoever did this is involved in last night too,"

"I think you're right. Now we just have to figure out who that is," neither man had noticed the door open, but they both turned at the sound of a woman's voice.

Danny gaped in disbelief as he looked straight into the eyes of Detective Jenny Cho.


	12. Chapter 12

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 12**

Mary was distraught. It had been hours since they arrived at the police station and in a situation like this she did not think that 'no news was good news.' Ed had been shocked when, out of desperation, she decided to contact Detective Cho. Danny's relationship with the other woman had basically ended before it really began and Mary hoped there were no hard feelings. Jenny had listened intently to Mary and promised she would do what she could to help. She agreed that there was no way Danny could do something like this and the fact that all the evidence so obviously pointed to him was very suspicious. As the clock slowly approached 2AM, Jenny emerged from the interrogation room.

"Jenny, what's happening?" Mary asked, anxious for news.

"I'm having trouble convincing the homicide detectives that there's more going on here than meets the eye. They think this case is a slam dunk and the DA agrees. She's holding Danny over for arraignment in the morning."

"After that we can post bail for him, right?" Ed jumped into the conversation.

"_If_ the judge decides to grant it. The DA is going to request that bail be denied due to the brutal nature of the crime."

"That's ridiculous!" Ed's voice echoed throughout the empty hallway.

"I know, but I'm not officially working the case so I don't have much say in it. It's a miracle they've let me stay in the room this long. Although it was harder to convince Mr. Heymann that I wasn't the enemy than it was to get my colleagues to let me sit in. He's very intimidating."

Ed's chuckle lacked any humor, "He used to work for gangsters--he had to be intimidating to survive."

Suddenly, Mary sagged against Ed as she felt the fight go out of her. He supported her weight and gently helped her to a chair. Jenny considered her for a moment before speaking.

"Mary, you're obviously exhausted. Why don't you let Ed take you home and you can come back first thing in the morning."

"No, I don't want to leave without Danny."

"You're not doing Danny any good here. I promise I'll do whatever I can to help him," Jenny's voice was sincere.

"Come on, Mary," Ed coaxed, "let's go for now. We'll come back for the arraignment and hopefully be able to post bail."

Mary wasn't convinced she should leave, but she didn't have the strength to argue. As Ed helped her up and led her towards the elevators she turned back to Jenny.

"Promise you'll call if anything else happens."

"I will."

Jenny sighed as the elevator doors closed. Not long after she and Danny began seeing each other she realized things weren't going to work out. It was obvious he was still very much in love with Mary. She was forced to admit to herself that she was using him too. It had only been a few months since her marriage had ended and she still wasn't over her ex-husband. She and Danny had discussed the future of their relationship briefly after his dad's death and agreed to an amicable ending. While they had not spoken but a few times since then, Jenny considered him a friend and really wanted to help. She'd seen the autopsy photos and knew there was no way Danny could do that to a woman—even one who was threatening Mary. She took a deep breath and reentered the small interrogation room.

"Did you talk to Mary? Is she alright?" Danny immediately asked.

"I convinced her to go home and rest," Jenny assured him.

"Thank you," Danny responded and then looked back at the other detectives in the room.

"Okay, Mr. McCoy, let's go over this one more time," Detective Sandoval began again.

"Just come clean and we can put this whole thing behind us. We know she drugged you. You were afraid she wanted to hurt Ms. Connell—that's what you told your friend, Mike. You go to confront the girl and things get out of hand. It's perfectly understandable that you would want to protect your girlfriend. Just tell us what happened."

"You want me to admit to something I didn't do and it's not going to happen."

"Your finger prints were on the murder weapon. How do you explain that?"

"It was my bat, but I haven't used it in months. I don't even remember where I left it."

"You left it in the dumpster next to that poor girl's body," the second man who Danny knew as Monroe slammed his fist on the table separating them as he screamed this last statement.

Danny simply stared at the man. He knew they were trying to rattle him, but they weren't going to succeed. Their tactics might have worked on someone else, but there was no way Danny would let them scare him into confessing to a crime he didn't commit.

He took a deep breath before he spoke, "I'm done talking."

"You heard the man," Len spoke up, "interview's over."

"Fine, if that's the way you want it. We'll transfer you to a holding cell until the judge decides to set bail."

The detective motioned to someone behind the two-way glass and within moments two uniformed officers came in to escort Danny to his cell.

"I'm going to check with Mike to see if he's found anything," Jenny spoke softly as the officers placed Danny in handcuffs again.

Danny just nodded and let them lead him out of the room.

"Okay, Mike, tell me something good."

Ed had dropped Mary off at home and made sure she was settled before heading back to the casino to see what Mike had uncovered.

"I found out that Ms. Posin wasn't who she said she was. Her real name was Patricia Sokel and she has a rap sheet a mile long."

Mike was seated at Ed's desk using his computer as the older man approached.

"What kind of crimes?"

"Bad checks, petty theft, shoplifting, larceny, embezzlement. . . Do you want me to go on?"

"Do you think she was running some sort of real estate scam?"

"Not that I can see. It looks like she was trying to turn her life around. She finished school, got her real estate license and had been doing pretty well in the last year or so," Mike said as he continued to read the documents that appeared on the screen before him.

"Did she ever do any time? Maybe she met someone on the inside that had something against Danny?"

Mike typed in a few more commands and continued to scan the information.

"No, it looks like she did two years probation for the larceny charge, but that was it. Everything else was either deferred or she paid a fine."

"That's pretty damn good, even for today's sentencing standards."

Ed knew they were missing something important.

"She must have had one hell of an attorney," Mike commented, his eyes never leaving the monitor.

Ed pondered that statement for a moment.

"Mike, who was her attorney?"

Mike scanned the documents once again before he located the information he needed.

"Omigod!" Mike gasped as he stared at the name at the bottom of the page.

"What! Who was it?"

"Jake Porter," Mike's voice was barely a whisper.

"Get Mary on the phone, NOW!" Ed screamed as he made his way out of the office and down the stairs, Mike following close behind.

Mike quickly dialed Mary's home number as they both ran out of the security room and down the hallway. By the time they reached the casino, her machine had picked up.

_"Hi, this is Mary. Please leave me a message."_

"Mary, it's Mike. I need you to call me right away!"

"Try her cell," Ed was frantic now as they jumped into his Hummer and sped out of the parking lot.

Mike hit 5 on his speed dial and waited. When her voicemail picked up he slammed his phone closed. "She's not answering her cell either."

"She's supposed to be waiting by the phone for news about Danny. Something's wrong," Ed's voice was grim as they sped down the strip towards Mary's apartment.


	13. Chapter 13

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 13**

Mary had just drifted into a restless sleep when the incessant ring of the doorbell sounded through the quiet apartment. She couldn't imagine who would be here at such an early hour. Ed promised he would call when he was on his way and since he'd been gone less than an hour she seriously doubted it was him. Before Mary opened the door she peered through the small window that gave her a limited view of the porch. She was not expecting what she saw.

"Mary, are you there?" Jake's voice sounded muffled through the door.

"What are you doing here, Jake?"

"I heard about Danny. Can you open the door so we can talk?"

Mary pondered his words for a moment. Her brain was telling her that letting him in was a bad idea, but her heart was desperate to find someone who might be able to help Danny. Jake knew people and if he was sincere, he might be able to help.

"Mary, please open the door. I found some information on Penny that I think can help Danny."

Those words were all it took for Mary to disengage the locks and throw open the door. Jake took a moment to look at her. She was dressed only in a soft gray t-shirt and matching boxer briefs that looked like they were three sizes too big. The name "McCoy" printed in neat letters across the left side of the shirt revealed the outfit's original owner. Jake tried desperately to control his rage at the site of her in Danny's clothes.

Mary waited for him to enter and closed the door behind him.

"What did you find out?"

"Can't we just talk for a minute? I've missed you."

"Jake, stop. You said you could help Danny. That's the only reason I let you in."

Mary realized in that instant she had made a mistake opening the door. She doubted he was going to tell her anything that would help clear Danny's name--it had only been an excuse to get close to her.

"I think you should go. I'll let Detective Cho know that you have information that might be important to the case."

Jake laughed, "Detective Cho? So I guess Danny's got all his whores helping him out now?"

Jake's words were dripping with venom, but Mary was determined not to let him upset her.

"I want you to leave, now."

"Fine--I'll go," Jake said as he turned towards the door.

At that instant the phone in Mary's kitchen rang and she turned towards the noise. The momentary distraction gave Jake the opportunity to catch her off guard. He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. Mary hardly had time to think before he backhanded her hard across the face. She lost her balance and fell to the cold tile floor in the entryway. As she struggled to get up, Jake grabbed the back of her neck and slammed her hard into the wall. The last thing Mary heard before she plunged into darkness was Mike's voice filtering through her answering machine.

_"Mary, it's Mike, I need you to call me right away!"_


	14. Chapter 14

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 14**

Mike held onto the handle above the Hummer's passenger door as they took the turn onto Mary's street without slowing down.

"Damn!" Ed exclaimed as they pulled in front of the building. The door to Mary's apartment was wide open.

Both men approached the entrance and cautiously made their way inside. There were definite signs of a struggle. One of the living room chairs was overturned and a lamp lay broken in several pieces on the tile floor. While he knew deep down he wouldn't find anything, Ed did a quick sweep of the apartment to make sure Mary wasn't lying injured somewhere.

While Ed searched the house, Mike opened his cell phone to search for a number. Once he found the name he was looking for, he hit send and prayed she would take the call. Mike had briefly dated a girl who worked in the public defender's office. Since the romance had not ended on a positive note she was less than thrilled to receive a call at the crack of dawn inquiring as to Jake Porter's whereabouts. Ed returned to the room just as Mike ended the conversation.

"Jake doesn't work for the public defender's office anymore. He quit two days ago—didn't even give any notice."

There was no response from Ed as he stared at a spot just beyond Mike's left hip. When Mike turned to see what had captured his attention, his stomach jumped to his throat. On the wall just behind the front door was blood—streaked as if someone had been slammed violently against the wall and then slid to the floor

"Call Detective Cho," was all Ed could manage to say as he stared at the crimson stain on the wall.

Danny sat on the bed in the dark jail cell, his back pressed against the cinderblock wall. He kept going over the past few days in his mind trying to figure out what he was missing. He must have really pissed someone off if they were willing to murder an innocent girl just to frame him. Of course innocent may not be the best word to describe Penny. Her actions last night certainly seemed to indicate she was involved in something shady, but she still didn't deserve to die.

He closed his eyes for a moment and pictured Mary's beautiful face. He missed her already and they'd only been separated a few hours. He knew she was worried sick, but he hoped she would be able to rest.

Danny was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of clicking heels coming down the hall. He recognized the footfalls as those of a woman and suspected that it was Jenny.

"Did you talk to Mike?" Danny asked as her form appeared on the other side of the bars.

"No, not yet, but I do have some good news. They're releasing you on your own recognizance."

"What? Why? I mean, don't get me wrong--I'm thrilled--but I thought they were going to hold me as long as they could."

"A witness came forward. A homeless man who had been living in one of the construction trailers near the Farlow Building saw a man with sandy brown hair throw a couple of things in the trash early yesterday morning. He didn't see him dump the body, but he did see him toss a baseball bat in before he left in a black Cadillac Escalade. The guy didn't come forward at first because he didn't want to get in trouble for breaking into the trailer, but when he heard the guys at the site talking about the body and saying that you had been arrested, he told them what he saw. In light of this information, the detectives have agreed to release you until they can check out this new lead. So, are you ready to go or would you rather hang out here?"

"You don't have to tell me twice. Let's go," they both chuckled as Danny practically leapt from the cell.

"Can I get a ride to Mary's."

"Sure. I'm not technically working today so I'll drop you off on my way home."

"Thank you, Jenny, for everything."

"No problem. Just make sure you invite me to the wedding."

Danny smiled as they headed out the door into the early morning twilight.

Jenny's cell phone rang just as they reached the car and she quickly retrieved it from her belt.

"Detective Cho."

"---"

"Oh, Mike, I was just going to call you."

"---"

"Wait a second, Mike, slow down. What's going on?"

Danny watched all the color drain from Jenny's face as she listened to Mike. He knew instantly something was very wrong.

"Call Detective Milligan in violent crimes and tell him what happened. Danny's been released so I'll fill him in and we'll meet you there."

"What the hell is going on?" Jenny barely had time to disconnect the call before Danny was in her face.

"Get in the car. We don't have any time to waste," the tires of the detective's Jeep screeched as they left the parking lot.

"Mike and Ed think Jake Porter killed Penny."

"Why would Jake kill Penny?" the words had no sooner left his mouth than Danny's mind began to focus on something Jenny had said earlier.

"Jake drives a black Escalade," he said quietly to himself, trying to sort out everything in his head.

Danny paused for a moment before he continued, "This whole thing has been about Mary. He wants her back so he decided to set me up with Penny and when that didn't work he killed her and tried to make it look like I did it. We've got to get to Mary right now. She's not safe."

When Jenny didn't respond, Danny finally turned to her. The look on her face made his heart sink.

"Something's happened to Mary." It was a statement rather than a question.

When she still didn't answer he screamed at her, "TELL ME!"

"Jake took her. Ed and Mike are at her place right now. I promise you--we'll do everything we can to get her back," Jenny's voice was soft as she reached for Danny's hand which had formed a tight fist.

Danny had not heard anything after Jenny's first statement. "_Jake took her._" The sound of those words reverberating through his head was deafening. He tried desperately to control his breathing, afraid he might pass out. He was no good to Mary if he couldn't think straight. Taking a deep breath he began to consider all the possibilities. Knowing Mary's absence would not go unnoticed for long, Jake would want to get away from Vegas as quickly as possible.

"Jenny, he has access to a private jet."

Jenny threw her phone at Danny as she made a sharp u-turn and headed back towards the airport, "Call Ed and tell them to meet us there!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 15**

Mary slowly fought her way back to consciousness as they reached the hangar that housed the Porter Holdings private jet. She was vaguely aware of Jake lifting her from the car and carrying her up the plane's short flight of stairs. By the time they were inside the jet, Mary was fully awake.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME," she screamed as the pilot quickly shut the door and moved to the cockpit.

"Scream all you want. No one is going to hear you."

"Why are you doing this, Jake? Please, just let me go," she begged.

"Let you go? You still don't get it, do you? You belong to me! I'll be damned if I'm going to let someone like Danny McCoy take you from me."

Jake's tone terrified Mary and she slowly scanned the interior of the plane, searching for something she could use as a weapon.

"Everything would have been fine if he'd just taken what I offered."

"What are you talking about?" she asked confused.

"PENNY! I handed her to him on a silver platter and he pushed her away like she was garbage! He just sat around like a damn monk pining away for you… playing the poor suffering orphan who needed his little Mary and YOU FELL FOR IT!"

"I don't understand. What does any of this have to do with Penny? Did you know her?"

Jake smiled sadistically, "Yes, I knew her. I represented her a few years ago. If there was trouble to get into, that kid would find it. I managed to get her off every time and of course, she insisted on repaying me. At the time I wasn't interested in the payment she was offering, but I told her that one day I'd need her help. She was just supposed to seduce him. I needed you to see he'd moved on so you would do the same. When that didn't work I had to take more drastic measures."

Mary stared at Jake—a horrified expression on her face. "You told her to drug him."

"Yeah--fat lot of good that did me. You weren't even fazed. No one could convince you that your precious Danny was anything but a perfect boy scout."

Mary could not control her tears anymore as she asked in a trembling voice, "Did you kill her?" She still couldn't believe the man she'd spent the last six months of her life with was capable of something so evil.

"You're damn right I did! The stupid bitch wanted to come clean. She was going to tell Danny everything and I couldn't let that happen. If I could make it look like Danny killed her then all the better. Even if the cops figured it out eventually, Danny would be out of the way long enough for us to make our escape."

"You're a monster!"

Jake laughed, "No, I'm just a man who gets what he wants."

The jet suddenly stopped knocking both of them off balance. Mary scrambled towards the back of the plane, trying to put as much distance between her and Jake as their confines would allow. It didn't take long for him to reach her, though, and pull her back towards the front of the plane, striking her head on a metal armrest in the process. Mary fell to the floor, seemingly unconscious. Believing she was out cold, Jake secured her limp form in one of the forward facing seats and entered the cockpit to give the pilot instructions.

When the plane started moving again, a wide awake Mary used Jake's temporary distraction as an opportunity to unbuckle her seatbelt and lunge for the exit. She desperately yanked on the handle trying to open the door. As the airlock disengaged, a warning light came on in the cockpit, finally drawing Jake's attention to Mary's actions.

"Don't let anything stop you from getting this plane in the air," Jake screamed at the pilot as he quickly made his way towards Mary, grabbing her from behind.

She bit hard into his hand causing him to cry out and release her. Mary turned towards Jake and quickly brought her knee up into his groin. As he doubled over in pain, she summoned all her strength and landed a well placed fist to his face. Blood instantly began flowing from Jake's shattered nose. He leaned over in agony, unable to stop Mary from pulling the handle on the door and pushing it open.

The stairs that had been stowed for the flight tumbled towards the ground and Mary carefully stepped out of the plane holding onto the cables that lined both sides. The aircraft was beginning to pick up speed so Mary had little time to consider her options. She sent up a silent prayer that she would see Danny again and leapt from the plane.

Ed's Hummer crashed through the security fence that ran parallel to Runway 8 at McCarran International Airport with Detective Cho's Jeep close behind. Danny had called in some favors and discovered that the Porter jet had filed a flight plan for Venezuela early this morning. He spotted the plane's tail numbers among the line of private jets waiting to enter the runway.

"That's them. They're almost ready to take off!"

Jenny veered to the far end of the taxiway, hoping she could get in front of the plane to stop its progression down the runway while Ed tried to do the same from the other side. As they approached the rear of the jet, Danny noticed something odd--the side door was open and the stairs were lowered. Before either vehicle could reach the plane, it started to accelerate down the runway. Seconds after the engines began to roar Danny saw a body tumble from the aircraft.

"MARY!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 16**

Ed watched horrified as Mary made her way onto the steps and jumped. She hit the ground hard and rolled underneath the wing of the plane, barely missing the rear landing gear. He slammed on the brakes and swerved to avoid hitting her body as it lay face down on the tarmac.

Danny reached her first. Forgetting everything he knew about first aid, he quickly turned her over so he could cradle her lifeless form.

"Mary, can you hear me? Wake up, baby. I _need_ you to wake up," he pleaded.

Ed carefully put a hand to her neck and prayed that he would find a pulse. When he realized her heart was still beating strong his voice broke with relief, "She's alive."

"The ambulance is on its way," Jenny said as she watched Danny softly smooth Mary's hair away from her face.

Danny buried his face in the crook of Mary's neck and began to cry. Beyond the stench of jet fuel he could barely make out her sweet scent. How could he let this happen? He promised her everything would be alright and he never broke his promises. Mary was everything to him—the only thing he had left in this world—and if he lost her there was no way he could go on.

Somehow, over the sound of jet engines and police sirens, Danny heard a faint whimper. He leaned back to look into Mary's battered face and noticed her struggling to open her eyes.

"That's it, baby. Open your eyes."

"Danny?"

"I'm here, Mary. Everything's going to be okay."

"Hot," Mary whispered.

"What?" Danny asked, not sure he'd heard her right.

"It's hot," she softly cried as she began to squirm in his arms.

Danny realized Mary's bare legs were resting on the pavement which had probably reached 150 degrees in the scorching Vegas sun. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her towards the Hummer. Mike opened the rear door so they could place her inside until the ambulance arrived.

After he laid Mary down Danny quickly began to assess her injuries.

"Tell me where it hurts."

"It might be easier to tell you where it doesn't hurt," Mary replied. Danny smiled at her attempt at humor.

As far as he could see, most of the blood in her hair was already dried—indicating whatever head injury she'd sustained had stopped bleeding. There was, however, an ugly looking knot forming on her forehead. She had a bruise on her lower right cheek and her lip was split. Her legs were red with whelps and scrapes, probably from rolling on the hot pavement and a large bruise was forming on her left thigh. What concerned Danny the most was her right hand. The bruising and swelling indicated that it was most likely broken and he realized that the injury was probably not from the fall.

Mary noticed Danny had stopped his perusal of her injured body to stare at her hand.  
"I think I broke his nose," she said quietly.

Danny just stared at her, a look of awe overtaking his face. Mary reached her left hand to his cheek and wiped away the tears he didn't realize were falling. He closed his eyes and leaned into her palm.

"I'm so sorry," he said.

Mary's brow furrowed, but before she could ask him what he meant the paramedics were pushing him out of the way to tend to her. Danny stood back and let them work, his eyes never leaving Mary's.

The ride to the hospital was filled with questions.

_"Are you in any pain?"  
"Did you lose consciousness?"  
"What medications are you taking?"  
"When was the last time you ate?"  
"Do you have any pre-existing medical conditions?"  
"Are you allergic to any medications?"  
_  
The entire time Danny sat beside her, never letting go of her good hand. He listened intently and tried to ease some of the burden by responding to any questions he knew the answer to.

When they finally reached the hospital, Danny protested when the ER nurse stopped him from accompanying Mary beyond the waiting room.

"I'll be okay. It's only for a little while," Mary said as her eyes filled with tears. Despite her words, she was terrified of being separated again.

"We promise to take good care of her," the nurse assured him.

"I'll be right here if you need me," Danny reluctantly acquiesced.

After two and a half hours, six cups of coffee and three irate conversations with the hospital staff, a man in a white lab coat stepped into the waiting room.

"Connell?"

The doctor seemed surprised as Danny, Mike, Ed, Jillian, Delinda and Sam all stood up.

"You're all with Mary Connell?"

"We're her family," Sam replied.

"Is she alright?" Danny asked, desperate for news about Mary's condition.

"Yes, she should be fine. There were two fractures to the metacarpal bones in her right hand. They were only hairline fractures so I didn't see a need to cast it. We've splinted her hand and secured it with an Ace bandage to keep her from moving it too much. She did suffer a concussion, probably concurrently with the laceration to her scalp. For that reason I'm going to keep her until tomorrow for observation, but other than that her injuries were minor--just some superficial cuts and bruises. She's a very lucky girl."

"We're the lucky ones," Ed replied.

The room was quiet for a moment as everyone considered Ed's words. Finally, the doctor spoke again.

"We're moving her to a private room now. As soon as she's settled she can have visitors—two at a time--and try to keep the visits short. The best thing for her right now is rest."

Sam was the last to leave, promising Danny she'd make sure his place was cleaned up and ready for them by tomorrow. She also planned to go by Mary's and pack her some things to get her through the next week or so. Considering everything that had happened, they both figured Mary would not want to go back to her apartment anytime soon and because Danny had not been home since the incident with Penny, he wanted to make sure there was no trace of that fateful evening.

At the sound of Danny reentering the room Mary slowly turned her head towards the door.

"Hey," she said with a weary smile.

"Hey, yourself. How're you feeling?"

"A little loopy."

"It's the pain meds. They tend to do that to you."

Danny pulled the visitors chair close to the bed and looked into Mary's tired eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he said.

"For what?"

"For not protecting you. I should have done something about Jake sooner. I knew he'd hurt you and I didn't do anything."

"Because I wouldn't let you. I'm the one who should be apologizing. If I'd never gone out with Jake, none of this would have happened. I made so many mistakes, Danny. I never should have given you the ring back. You were hurting and confused and I just abandoned you."

"I know why you did it, though. How could I expect you to understand what I was going through if I couldn't understand it myself," Danny protested.

Mary shook her head and continued, "We had been taking it slow for 20 years and then all of a sudden things were on fast forward and I got scared. I thought that once you got past everything that happened while you were away you would realize you made a mistake asking me to marry you and then I would lose you completely. I need you in my life, Danny, and I couldn't handle the thought of you hating me so I made the decision for you. I'm so sorry." Mary was sobbing now.

"Mary, look at me. I love you more than anything and I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you how I felt back then, but I was scared too. I felt like my life was spinning out of control and the only thing I had to hold onto was you. You're my constant, Mary. I want to fall asleep next to you every night and wake up every morning with you in my arms. So, what do you say? No more sorry's."

"No more sorry's," Mary agreed with a soft smile.

Danny took her splinted right hand and gently kissed the tips of her fingers, tinged purple from the bruising.

"I can't believe you hit him hard enough to break your hand," he said disbelievingly.

"Well, my best friend's a marine, he taught me a few things."

"You do realize I was just using those 'lessons' as an excuse to be close to you."

"I know, but I still paid attention." Mary supplied as Danny inched closer to her face.

"Besides, I had to teach him a lesson."

Danny chuckled, "And what lesson would that be, Ms. Connell?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Anyone who messes with my guy has to deal with me."

Danny smiled and leaned in for a gentle kiss, careful of the cut on her lip.

"You're amazing. Do you know that?" Danny said, his voice full of pride.

"Well, you're not so bad yourself," Mary softly replied.

"I should let you get some rest."

"Stay with me?" her voice was pleading.

Danny kissed the tip of her nose before lowering the railing on the bed. Mary carefully turned on her side while Danny adjusted the overhead light and removed his shoes. They lay spooned together until morning--his strong arms holding her close—secure in the knowledge that no matter what the future held, they would face it together.


	17. Chapter 17

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 17**

From her current position on the couch Mary could only see Danny's back as he hunched over the keyboard working intently. He'd been trying to figure out the new accounting program Mike had installed and had only said a few words to her since this morning.

She had been home from the hospital for three days and in all that time she was sure Danny had only left her side for a few minutes. Even when there had been a problem at the McCoy Construction yard, he'd sent someone else to take care of it rather than leave her. Today was different though. Mary supposed he was giving her some space after overhearing her conversation the night before with Delinda. She once again cursed herself for not noticing Danny standing in the doorway when she told Delinda he was smothering her. She was worried she'd hurt his feelings, but he merely left the room until she finished her phone call then returned to bed--spooning behind her as he'd done every night since she'd been hurt.

Mary knew he was still reeling from everything that had happened with Jake, but she wished she could convince him that she was okay. Of course it would probably help if she could convince herself of that before she tried to bring Danny on board. Physically she was recovering, but emotionally she was still having problems facing the fact that the man she had considered spending her life with turned out to be a cold-blooded killer. It also didn't help matters that the authorities had been unable to locate Jake or the Porter Holdings jet.

After Mary's rescue, mobilizing the proper authorities had proven difficult and they'd been unable to intercept the plane before it left U.S. airspace. The FBI kept track of them all the way to Central America where the jet promptly disappeared from radar. The plane was thought to have gone down somewhere in the jungles of Brazil, but a crash site had yet to be discovered.

As Danny continued to enter figures on the computer with no sign of stopping, Mary sighed dramatically. Despite her earlier grumblings, she wasn't too excited about being left to her own devices with nothing to distract her.

"Danny, let's go out tonight."

His concentration suddenly broken, he looked at her incredulously.

"Out? You just got out of the hospital, Mary. You're supposed to be resting."

"The doctor said I'm doing fine and I'm tired of being cooped up in here. What if we just went to Mystique for dinner. Please? I just want to get out of the house for a little while," she pleaded.

"We went out this morning."

"We walked to the mailbox and back--that doesn't count," Mary responded, clearly exasperated.

Danny noted her tone before considering his reply.

"Okay, but just to dinner and straight back here."

"Yes, sir," Mary responded with a mock salute.

"You think you're cute?"

"I know I'm cute," Mary winked as Danny smiled and rolled his eyes.

Much to Danny's dismay, their simple dinner at Mystique turned into an impromptu "welcome back" party for Mary. Currently Sam, Mike, Delinda, Danny and Mary were sitting in one of the booths in the back of the club trying to catch up on all the events of the last few days.

"So the police dropped all the charges against you?" Mike asked Danny as he returned with another round of drinks.

"Yeah. They have enough evidence to indict Jake."

"If they can find him," Sam blurted out before thinking. She immediately regretted it as she noticed the shiver that ran through her friend's body.

Snuggled behind Mary in the booth, Danny gently ran his hands up and down her arms trying to be soothing without drawing too much attention to her distress.

"I'm sorry, Mare. I'm sure they'll find him," Sam quickly apologized.

"So when do you think you'll come back to work?" Delinda cut in trying desperately to change the subject.

"Probably next week. The doctor says everything is healing, but because of the concussion he just wants me to take it easy for awhile," Mary replied, anxious to focus on something else.

As Delinda launched into a story about her attempts to secure the opening night party for the upcoming NBA All Star Game, Ed approached the group.

"Sorry to break up the party guys, but I need to talk to Danny for a minute."

Mary stiffened and grasped Danny's arm tightly before he had a chance to get up, worried the impending conversation had something to do with the problems of the last few days. Ed noticed and quickly dispelled her fears.

"Everything's fine, Mary. I just want to talk to Danny about a new deal I'm working on."

Mary instantly relaxed at Ed's words.

"I'll be right back," Danny whispered in her ear before kissing her shoulder and following Ed out of the club.

As they reached his office Ed motioned for Danny to sit as he poured himself something to drink.

"What are your plans for the future?"

Danny was taken off guard by the question. Confused as to the meaning, he cocked his head to the side, an uneasy smile on his face.

"Ed, are you asking what my intentions are towards Mary?"

The older man chuckled as he lowered himself into the chair behind his desk.

"Well, I hope it goes without saying that if you hurt her I'll break both of your legs, but that's not what I was asking. I meant what are your plans _professionally_?"

Danny sighed. He wasn't up for another fight with Ed about his career choices, but he knew there was no use trying to get out of the conversation.

"McCoy Construction is getting back on its feet. I've got a lot of new jobs coming up so for the foreseeable future I'll be doing that. This company was my dad's life and I can't just let it go."

"I know it's important to you, but is it what you really want to do?"

Danny had spent a lot of time running away from the life his dad worked so hard to provide and since Larry's death, keeping this company going was the only thing that eased the ache of regret .

"It doesn't really matter what I want," Danny said as he sank back into the couch, running both hands down his face.

Ed looked at Danny—really looked at him for the first time in months. He could see the resigned look on his features and he finally understood. Danny felt it was his duty to take over his father's business and nothing was going to change his mind. Ed stood from his chair and joined Danny on the couch. As both men sat shoulder to shoulder on the small leather sofa, Ed finally spoke.

"I've got some money I need to invest and I've been thinking that maybe I should get into the construction business."

"I can't sell my dad's company, Ed, and I can't take your money," Danny protested.

"It's not a loan. I'm thinking more of a partnership—50/50. You'll still make all the major decisions, but we'll find someone to run the day-to-day operations. The way I figure it, this is a win/win situation. The company stays in the family and I get you back here. If we both happen to make some money in the process. . . even better."

"I don't know what to say."

"Just say 'yes'."

"I want to talk to Mary first, but I don't know why she wouldn't agree."

Danny stood up and shook Ed's hand, anxious to get back to Mary and share the news.

"Take the rest of the week. You and Mary can both start back on Monday if she's ready."

As Danny reached the door to the security room he stopped.

"Thank you, Ed, for everything."

The raw emotion in Danny's voice forced a lump into Ed's throat and he waved a dismissive hand in the younger man's direction.

"Yeah, sure. Just get out of here before I change my mind."

Danny smiled and practically sprinted through the security room back to Mystique.


	18. Chapter 18

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 18**

The ride back to Danny's was quiet. Mary could tell by his barely contained excitement that he had something important to talk to her about. He'd practically dragged her out of Mystique as soon as he returned from Ed's office. She would have been worried had it not been for the huge grin on his face.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" The suspense was killing her and she wasn't sure she could wait until they got to the house.

"I told you we'd talk about it as soon as we get home," Danny brought her hand to his lips for a gentle kiss.

"Danny, you know I hate surprises," she tried to sound serious.

"No you don't. You love surprises," Danny glanced at her, a bewildered expression on his face.

"I know," Mary sighed, "but it was worth a shot."

Danny chuckled as he pulled the Camaro into the driveway of his dad's house.

As soon as they were inside Danny pinned Mary against the door and kissed her senseless. His hands in her hair anchored her head in place as he attacked her mouth with his own. Mary broke the kiss first, gasping for breath.

"Tell me what happened with Ed," her voice was husky and she barely recognized it as her own.

Danny smiled as he stared into her beautiful eyes. "Let's sit down."

Danny helped Mary over to the couch before locking the front door and joining her.

"I'm going to tell you everything, but you have to promise to let me finish before you say anything. Okay?"

"Okay." Mary was starting to get nervous.

"Ed made me an offer tonight--an offer too good to pass up."

Mary started to speak, but Danny stopped her with a finger on her lips.

"Uh-uh. You promised."

Mary simply nodded her head indicating Danny should continue.

As Danny carefully relayed the events of his earlier meeting with Ed, Mary's expression remained neutral. Danny was right. The offer was too good to pass up and she was happy for him. She could already see the spark that had been missing for so long in his eyes and it was beautiful.

Mary was also afraid. While she was elated that Danny was finally getting his life back on track there was a small part of her deep down that still worried about losing him. He'd asked her to marry him out of desperation when he'd returned from the war and her irrational fear told her that he'd turned back to their relationship after his dad died hoping to hold onto something familiar. Danny always needed her in times of trouble and sorrow, but once things were going smoothly he usually forgot about her. Jake's words suddenly replayed in her head.

_"As soon as he doesn't need you anymore he'll cast you aside just like before."_

"Why haven't you said anything?"

Danny's voice startled Mary from her trance.

"I think it's wonderful, Danny. You can have the best of both worlds," she said, trying to hide her anxiety.

"Why do I feel like there's a '_but_' coming?"

"There's no '_but_', I'm just really tired. It's been a long day so I'm going to head to bed."

Mary stood up from the couch, avoiding Danny's questioning gaze.

"Mary, I can tell you're upset. Please tell me what's wrong."

"I think it's great, Danny. You can finally get back to your life," Mary's voice broke on the last word as she lost the battle with her tears. She hurried upstairs hoping he wouldn't press the matter any further.

Mary held her breath as she lay just beneath the surface of the water, water that was now freezing cold. She felt like a fool and she knew she'd worried Danny beyond belief. He'd knocked on the bathroom door for fifteen minutes, begging her to let him in, but she'd ignored his pleas--pretending not to hear him over the running water. When she finally shut off the faucet she heard his back hit the door with a thud and the sound of his body sliding to the floor. He was determined not to let this go and Mary knew she'd have to face him eventually.

She felt horrible for even considering that Danny would leave her. He'd done everything to prove to her that he was in this for the long haul, but once again she had let her fear overrule her rational mind. They should be downstairs celebrating, but instead they were on opposite sides of a wall—Mary ashamed and Danny confused.

_"Why am I doing this to myself? Danny loves me more than anything. All I have to do is talk to him."_

Mary stood quickly from the tub, pulling the drain plug with her toe as she stepped out. She hastily pulled on her robe, catching her still injured hand in the sleeve. The sudden stab of pain caused her to cry out and she heard Danny's soft voice on the other side of the door.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

Mary took a deep breath and slowly disengaged the lock. As she opened the door her eyes never left the floor. While the physical barrier between them was now gone, Mary still couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"I'm so sorry," they both said at the same time.

Finding some hidden courage Mary looked into Danny's face, but his devastated expression was almost more than she could take.

"I'll call Ed first thing in the morning and tell him the deal's off."

Mary couldn't stop her tears from falling now. He was willing to give up his dreams for her. How could she have ever doubted this man?

"Danny, I can't let you do that. I'm not upset about the deal. I think it's fantastic."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because I'm an idiot."

"I don't understand." Danny was beyond confused now.

"I know it's ridiculous, but all of a sudden I was overwhelmed with doubt. You've been wonderful, but I just started worrying again about where I fit into all this. I'm so sorry," Mary choked out between sobs.

Danny's heart broke a little at her words. He had done this to her. His actions had fed her fears and doubts their whole lives. He slowly brought his hand up to her face—the face he'd dreamed about every night since he was a kid.

"I'm so sorry I ever made you doubt your place in my life," Danny said as he pulled Mary into his arms, cradling her head against his chest close to his heart.

"This is where you fit. This is where I want you for the rest of our lives."

They stayed that way for a long time—wrapped in each others arms--their bodies gently swaying to a rhythm only the two of them could hear.

When he was sure the tears had stopped Danny pulled back to look into her eyes.

"I know you're scared about the future and that you want to take things slow. And I want you to know that I'll wait for you as long as you need, just like you've always waited for me."

"Why do I feel like there's a '_but_' coming?" Mary asked with a smile.

"I was hoping we could compromise."

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to move in with me. I know you've been staying here, but I want to make it official. I've already talked to my lawyer about having the house put in both of our names. There are so many things I want to do around here. I was hoping we could do it together, make this place our own."

"Danny, are you sure? This is a big step," Mary asked, still uncertain.

Danny's eyes sparkled as a huge grin lit up his face.

"It's not nearly big enough," he said as he swept Mary off her feet and headed for the bed, "but it will do for now."


	19. Chapter 19

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.**

**CHAPTER 19**

Almost six weeks had passed since Mary and Danny had officially moved in together. Since then they had come up with a plan to renovate the house one room at a time.

McCoy Construction was thriving with the addition of its new general contractor, Calvin Brock, an old friend of Ed's who had worked in Vegas construction for almost four decades. Calvin had known Larry McCoy and was well-respected in the business and that knowledge helped Danny come to terms with his decision to sell half the company to Ed and turn things over to someone else. The fact that the company's profits had doubled didn't hurt either. The extra money would make it possible for Danny and Mary to pay for all the renovations on their house in cash rather than taking out a loan.

Danny learned during his time in construction that he really enjoyed working with his hands and he thought the house would be a perfect side project. While Mary was thrilled Danny was taking such an interest in the doing some of the work himself, she was concerned that with their hectic lifestyles they'd be living in an unfinished house indefinitely. When Danny completed the structural modifications to the kitchen--with a small amount of outside help--within the first two weeks, Mary decided she had nothing to worry about.

Another task Danny wasted no time accomplishing was the installation of a state-of-the-art security system. Since Jake Porter's whereabouts were still unknown, it was important to make sure Mary felt safe and secure. When she was at the Montecito, her image was on one of the monitors in the security room at all times and the security system at their house was directly linked to the casino so Danny could keep an eye on things when their schedules differed. With Ed's help he'd also obtained a "panic button" much like the U.S. Secret Service used for their charges. When activated, the device would alert Danny, Ed and the Las Vegas Police Department to Mary's whereabouts within a one hundred mile radius.

Danny glanced at Mary on the monitor as he walked towards Ed's office. She was talking to Delinda on the casino floor, probably making plans for their big shopping trip this afternoon. Danny and some of the guys from McCoy Construction had finished installing the new hardwood floors throughout the house over the weekend which meant the master bedroom was now basically complete. Mary was planning on purchasing new bedroom furniture and linens to complete the room and of course Delinda had jumped at the chance to tag along.

"Hey, Mitch, will you keep an eye on Mary? I've got to meet with Ed," Danny asked before stepping into his boss' office.

"Sure thing, Danny."

Once inside Ed motioned for Danny to sit as he activated the privacy glass.

"I received some information today from a very reliable source. Jake Porter is definitely alive. He was spotted outside Caracas two days ago."

He'd known for awhile that Jake was probably still alive, but to hear it confirmed left a sick knot in the pit of his stomach.

"Do we know where he's staying? I can be on a plane this afternoon."

"Take it easy, Danny. You can't go running off half-cocked. If you get yourself killed Mary will never forgive me."

Danny knew Ed was right, but he also knew Mary would never feel safe as long as Jake was out there. The Porter family had already used their influence to have most of the charges against Jake dropped. Now the police were merely looking for him as a "person of interest" wanted for questioning in Penny's slaying and not as the prime suspect.

When Ed realized the search for Jake was not a priority for the authorities anymore he promised Danny they would use any means necessary to locate him and make sure he was no longer a threat to anyone ever again.

Seeing the mix of emotions raging in Danny's eyes, Ed tried to reassure him.

"I know how much you want him to pay, but we've got to be careful. We've got him under surveillance and I promise you that if he makes a move we'll know."

"Who do you have working on this in South America?"

Ed hesitated a moment before he replied, "Jack Keller."

"Ed, are you sure we can trust him?"

"No, but he's the best."

Once Mary changed into her jeans and tank top she headed back down to Mystique to meet Delinda for their shopping trip. She was stopped in the service hallway by an arm around her waist as Danny pulled her into a private spot.

"Leaving already?" The sound of Danny's voice in her ear made Mary's toes curl.

"Yes. I'm hoping we can find everything … today so…. Delivered … before … end of the week." It was hard for Mary to string a coherent sentence together with Danny nibbling the sensitive spot behind her ear.

"You're not going to pick out anything pink or frilly, are you?"

That got Mary's attention and she rolled her eyes. "Danny, I asked you to come with me and you said '_whatever you pick out will be fine_.' Have you changed your mind?"

"No, no. I was just curious."

"I promise I won't pick out anything that will jeopardize your manhood. Besides, pink doesn't really go with the paint. You're going to start on that as soon as you get home, right?"

"Yes. I promise the bedroom will be painted tonight. Mike said he would help."

"Thank you," Mary said as she gave him a quick kiss and extricated herself from his arms, "I'll call you later."

"Be careful!" Danny shouted after her. Mary smiled and gave him a quick wink before disappearing through the double doors leading to the casino floor.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I think I've had enough shopping for one day."

Mary chuckled as she watched Delinda collapse into an arm chair as they waited for the salesman to return.

"I'm sorry it took me so long. I just hope Danny likes what I picked out."

"Mary, Danny doesn't care what the bed looks like as long as you're in it."

Mary smiled to herself as she considered Delinda's words. Danny had pretty much given her the green light to make all decorating decisions, but it was important to Mary that he feel comfortable. She was determined to make their new home a perfect mix of each of their styles and tastes. The furniture and linens she picked out for the bedroom reflected that. The paint color was a soft blue/gray which gave the room a soothing feel. The dark wood furniture was strong and masculine, but would be softened by the fluffy white linens she'd chosen for the bed. She couldn't wait to put everything together and show Danny.

"Here you go, Miss Connell," the salesman handed her the invoice and continued, "the furniture should be delivered on Thursday between 9AM and 11AM."

"Thank you so much, Roger. I really appreciate all your help," Mary shook his hand and then turned to her friend, "Come on, Dee, I'll buy you dinner."

"Well, it's the least you could do," Delinda replied as she followed Mary out of the store.


	20. Chapter 20

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 20**

Mary and Danny lay sprawled together on their new oversized sofa. Since neither of them had to work today they were taking time to read the paper and enjoy a lazy morning at home. Danny had not been immediately sold on the large red couch, but when Mary whispered in his ear all the fun things they could do to break it in he tossed his credit card at the salesman and paid extra for the rush delivery.

"So, what time are the girls picking you up?" Danny asked as he finished up the sports page.

"Around one. We're going to lunch and then we'll be at the spa. Are you and Mike still going to watch the game here?"

"Yeah. I'm dying to show off my new toy --which I don't think I've thanked you properly for yet," Danny said as he kissed the top of her head where it rested on his chest.

"Actually, you thanked me last night--multiple times. But feel free to thank me again," Mary teased as she tilted her head up so Danny could kiss her properly.

They were still making out like teenagers an hour later when the doorbell rang.

"Uggh! He's early!"

"He's not that early, Danny. It's almost noon. You answer the door and I'm going to jump in the shower."

"Uh, Mary? Why don't you answer the door and _I'll_ jump in the shower. I sort of have a little problem," Danny said sheepishly as he held one of the throw pillows in his lap.

Mary raised her eyebrows at his choice of words.

"I mean BIG problem, a REALLY BIG problem," Danny quickly corrected, much to Mary's amusement.

"Will you please entertain Mike for a few minutes," he pleaded before his eyes turned mischievous, "unless of course you'd like to join me?"

"As appealing as that offer sounds, _big boy_, I'm afraid Mike would be waiting all day if we did that. Now, hurry up! The girls will be here in an hour and I really need to get ready."

Danny kissed Mary quickly and headed for the bedroom tossing the pillow playfully at her as he left the room.

Ten minutes later Danny found Mike sitting in the den, cold beer in hand, watching the pre-game commentary on Danny's new plasma screen television.

"This is awesome, man."

"I know. I nearly passed out when I walked in last week and saw it. I don't know how Mary managed to keep it a secret. At first, I wasn't too excited about putting the TV in this room, but Mary says the living room is supposed to be for conversation--whatever that means."

"It's a chick thing, dude, sometimes you just have to go with it."

"Speaking of Mary, where is she?"

"She got a phone call," Mike replied, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Danny glanced towards the living room, but didn't see her. He guessed she'd taken the call in the kitchen. Danny hesitated for a moment, but then found himself wandering to the other room just to make sure she was there.

Danny had tried very hard not to smother Mary since they'd moved in together. He gave her as much space as possible, but he couldn't help needing to know where she was at all times. If Mary thought he was being overprotective she never said a word. She was constantly trying to reassure Danny she was fine, but he had a feeling she was worried about Jake just as much as he was. Even though Danny knew the house was secure, he couldn't get rid of the horrible feeling that if he let his guard down for one second someone could get to her.

Mary caught sight of him in the doorway and smiled.

"That sounds good, Sam. I'll see you in a little while," she ended the call and sauntered towards Danny.

"Did you have a good shower?"

"It was lonely," Danny replied, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Poor baby," Mary cooed as she nibbled on his lower lip which was protruding in an adorable pout. Danny pulled her closer and moved one hand from her waist to her hair. He leaned in to capture her mouth when they were interrupted by a shout from the next room.

"Danny, the picture on this thing is amazing. It's like the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are giving me my own personal lap dance!" Mike yelled, essentially ruining the moment.

Danny threw his head back and let out an exasperated sigh.

At his frustrated look, Mary laughed, "You're the one who wanted a '_day for the boys_'."

She gave Danny one last kiss before heading for the bathroom to get ready.

Later that day the girls were enjoying a very unhealthy lunch at Burger Bar at MandalayPlace and trying to catch up on all the latest gossip.

"Oh, Mare, before I forget—here." Sam handed Mary a plain white envelope.

Mary took the envelope and stared at it for a moment before putting it in her purse unopened.

"Don't you want to know how much I got for everything?"

During the move Mary had come across numerous pieces of jewelry that Jake had given her. She of course didn't want them, but decided that maybe Jake's money could do some good. She'd entrusted Sam to sell all the pieces and have the bank issue a cashier's check for the benefit of the Las Vegas Battered Women's Shelter.

"It doesn't matter. Everything's going to the shelter anyway."

"With that amount of money they'll probably build a whole new shelter in your honor. I mean that guy spent some serious dough on you," Sam blurted out, causing an uncomfortable silence to fall over the table.

"So, when's the big housewarming party?" Delinda asked, breaking the silence.

Thankful for the change in subject, Mary responded enthusiastically, "We haven't decided yet. We're still working on the guest room and the backyard, but as soon as that's done we'll definitely have everyone over."

"Was Bobby any help?"

"Omigod, yes! He was wonderful. Danny couldn't believe that Bobby Flay was actually at our house designing our patio. I still don't know how you convinced him to do that."

"He owed me a favor," Delinda replied casually.

Noticing Sam had remained silent, Mary placed a comforting hand on her arm.

"It's okay, Sam. I know you didn't mean anything by it. I'm just glad that the money is going to help some people who really need it. Most women aren't lucky enough to have such good friends like I do. I'll just be glad when Jake is caught and this whole thing is over."

"Oh, don't worry—Daddy will get him. He has people all over the world," Delinda assured them as she paid the check.

Her words really didn't make Mary feel any better. "I just hope Danny doesn't do anything stupid."


	21. Chapter 21

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 21**

The Montecito was booked to capacity and buzzing with activity the week before Labor Day. There had been a string of robberies at several casinos along the strip so Danny and the security team had been working overtime to make sure the Montecito was prepared. All the monitors and alarms had been checked and re-checked and Danny was sure they were ready for anything.

"Hey, Mike, how's it look?" Danny asked as he walked into the security room.

"All's quiet on the security front. Well, as quiet as it can be with wall to wall people on the casino floor. We've had a few drunk and disorderly incidents, but considering how many people we've got … I talked to Fred earlier and he said every single slot machine was occupied."

"That's incredible! I can't remember when we've ever been this busy, can you?"

"Nope. Man, if I was still working valet I'd probably be able to retire after a week like this."

Danny nodded his head in agreement as he headed up the stairs to Ed's office.

"You wanted to see me?"

"I want you to sit in on a conference call," Ed's voice was serious and Danny watched him warily as he activated the privacy glass.

Ed returned to his desk and used the remote control to cue up the video monitor. As soon as Danny saw Jack Keller's face he stood up and headed for the phone. Before he could dial, Ed stilled his hand.

"She's okay, Danny. She's in Mystique with Delinda. I checked on her myself."

Danny visibly relaxed and turned his attention back to the video screen.

"What's going on, Jack?" Danny's question was terse.

"Nice to see you too, kid."

"I'm in no mood for small talk. Do you have information on Jake Porter, or not?"

"Your boy's no fun anymore, Ed."

"He's been through a lot, Jack. Just cut to the chase."

"Jake Porter has been making inquiries into acquiring a new passport. So far he's been unsuccessful, but I just thought you both should know. He's also been helping out some pretty scary guys with activities that are less than honorable. I can't determine his motive, other than he's planning on asking them to repay the favor in some way."

Danny put his head in his hands as he tried to take in everything Jack was telling them.

"What do you want me to do, Ed?" Jack asked after a few minutes of silence.

Ed glanced at Danny who had yet to say a word.

"Just keep watching him for now. If he makes any move to return to the States or if you think he's planning something, call me immediately."

"Will do."

Ed disconnected the video feed and turned to Danny. Before he could speak, Danny sprinted from the office and to the elevators. Knowing exactly where he was going Ed cued up Mystique on the monitor in his office and watched Mary helping Delinda set up for a private party.

Danny stopped himself just outside the doors to Mystique and tried to catch his breath. He'd run full speed through the employee hallway and across the casino floor. He needed to see Mary—to reassure himself that she was still alright, but he didn't want to frighten her. Once he felt his emotions were in check, he walked into the restaurant and spotted her near the bar.

"Hey," Mary smiled as she saw him walking towards her.

A lump formed in his throat as he watched her face light up and he tried to smile back. Once he reached her, Danny took her hand and led her behind the partition separating the bar from the kitchen, away from the prying eyes of the cameras.

As soon as they were out of sight he took her in his arms and kissed her softly on the mouth. Danny pulled back and buried his head in her neck, breathing in the sweet smell of her perfume.

"What's happened?" she asked with trepidation.

"Everything's okay. I just needed to see you," he tried to reassure her.

"You're lying. I know you are, Danny. Please tell me what's going on."

Danny silenced her with another kiss, his strong arms pulling her body closer to his own. She relaxed only slightly in his embrace so he tried again to ease her fears.

"I'm sorry I scared you. We were getting an update from Keller and all of a sudden I just really needed to hold you," Danny placed soft kisses down her face and neck as he spoke.

"Is he back?" Mary sounded meek and afraid and he hated that Jake could still do that to her.

"No," Danny's voice was firm, "and Jack's watching him like a hawk. If he makes a move to come back, Mary, we'll be ready for him."

"Okay," she replied softly. Suddenly exhausted, Mary let her forehead rest against Danny's chest. After a few moments she took a deep breath and raised her head to look into his eyes. Danny couldn't resist and leaned in for another kiss.

"How about we get out of here for a little while? It's probably going to be a late night so I'm sure Ed wouldn't mind if we took a long lunch."

"Mr. McCoy, I think that's the best idea you've had all week. Let me get my purse and I'll meet you in the lobby," as Mary turned to walk away Danny grabbed her hand and pulled her back, devouring her mouth one more time.

"What was that for?" Mary asked, breathless.

"What? Can't I kiss my girl goodbye?"

"I'm going to see you again in five minutes, Danny."

"Mmmm," he nuzzled her neck playfully, "then I'll get to kiss you hello."

Mary giggled as she extricated herself from Danny's arms and headed out of Mystique, a playful swing in her hips.

Danny's voice called after her, "Five minutes, Connell! I'm timing you!"

He chuckled as her pace quickened and she hurried towards her office. When she finally rounded the corner towards the executive suites, Danny headed up to let the guys know he'd be gone for awhile.

After speaking with Ed, Danny grabbed his jacket and headed towards the elevator.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours, Mike," Danny said as he stepped onto the elevator car.

"Danny, wait, I think we have a problem," Mike yelled as he hunched over the alarm control panel.

The shrill sound of Danny's pager coupled with an identical sound emanating from his boss' office, caused the ex-Marine's protest to die on his lips, two seconds before all hell broke loose.


	22. Chapter 22

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 22**

"WE'VE GOT FIRE ALARMS ON THREE FLOORS," Mike yelled across the security room, "The sprinkler systems have activated in the lobby and on the casino floor. I can't see a damn thing on the monitors."

Ed came barreling out of his office, "Pull up the video for the executive suites."

"But there're no alarms in that area," Mike told him, confused at the request.

"DO IT NOW!" Ed screamed.

As Mike followed Ed's orders he could see Danny frantically banging and kicking the exit door, clutching his cell phone close to his ear.

"Danny, you can't get through there right now. It's a fire proof door and the room seals itself when the fire alarms go off, you know that. Give me a second and I'll activate the manual override."

"THERE'S NO TIME, MIKE," Danny screamed at his friend before turning his attention to Ed, "She's not answering her phone!"

It took Mike only a second to finally realize what that incessant noise was coming from both Ed and Danny. In the melee of fire alarms and security sirens he had almost tuned it out, but the piercing sound of the pagers meant that Mary had activated her panic button.

In that instant Mike leapt from his chair to help Danny with the door. He ripped the cover off the control box and started entering the series of codes he'd recently committed to memory just in case he ever became trapped in the confined space again.

"Do you see her, Ed?" Danny asked his boss, who was now seated at Mike's desk scanning the screens for any sign of Mary.

"Not yet. Mitch, run a visual identification scan for Mary and cue up the GPS on her panic button."

Mitch entered a few keystrokes and an electronic blueprint map of the first floor appeared on the main monitor--a red blinking dot indicating Mary's current position.

"The signal is coming from her office, but I'm having trouble getting a visual confirmation. We only have cameras in the hallways, not inside the individual offices."

Finally, the lock on the door disengaged and Danny took off running for the second time that day.

"Mike, I need to know if you have this under control," Ed asked as he moved towards the door.

"Don't worry about this, Boss. Just… help Danny," Mike tried to sound confident, but he was terrified for his friends.

With a quick nod, Ed headed down the hall after his young protégé.

Mike turned to the guys in the room and began shouting orders, "I want all non-essential security personnel to the casino floor to assist with evacuation. Make sure everyone has their headsets tuned to the emergency channel. Let's run a full diagnostic check on all systems and somebody get those sprinklers turned off."

It took Danny and Ed almost ten minutes to fight their way through the crowds of panicked people. The hotel staff was doing a good job of ushering patrons towards the exits, but the casino had been filled to capacity and the added hindrance of the sprinklers made it difficult to execute any kind of controlled evacuation.

Once they reached Mary's office it was empty. Danny felt like he'd been kicked in the gut when he saw the panic button sitting in the middle of her desk--the tiny LED light mocking him as it blinked rapidly. She would never have left it there willingly.

For a few seconds he couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe. She was gone. He'd turned his back for a second and Jake had taken her. Ed's hand on his shoulder finally broke his trance.

"We'll get her back, son. I promise you we'll find her and get her back."

Ed's cell phone vibrated on his hip and he reached to pick it up.

"Any sign of Mary on the monitors, Mike?"

Ed listened to Mike as he steered Danny out of the office and closed the door. "Have you cleared all the alarm conditions? Okay, we're on our way up," Ed snapped his phone shut and relayed what he'd learned to Danny.

"Mike is still reviewing the footage for any sign of her. It's hard to make out anything because of the sprinklers. He also talked to Metro and their on the way. Detective Cho has already issued an APB and emailed Mary's picture to every airport, train station and law enforcement agency in a 500 mile radius."

"I have to go, Ed," Danny whispered, still in a state of shock.

"Danny, we have no idea where she is. You'd just be driving around. Let's go upstairs and see if we can figure out what we're dealing with."

"Danny, Ed, there's something you should see," Mike said as soon as the two men entered the surveillance room.

Mike quickly ran back the footage he'd been reviewing on the monitor. The screen was a mass of people scrambling to get out of the hotel. In the middle of the picture were two people making their way through the casino. A large man had his arms around another person--most likely a woman judging by the size—and was helping her through the crowd. A large jacket was thrown over the woman's head as if to keep her from getting wet.

"That could be anyone, Mike. We're wasting time," Ed said, frustrated.

"No. Take a closer look," Mike said as he isolated the image and enhanced it.

Now you could clearly see both people, but only one of them was actually walking. The woman's feet were dragging along the floor as the man carried her in an upright position.

"Omigod. He walked right out the front door," Danny stated in disbelief, his eyes watering at the horrifying thought of Mary, unconscious in the hands of this man.

"Well, one thing's for sure. That's definitely not Jake Porter. Mike, see if you can get a better picture of this guy. I want to get it to Metro and get it out on the wires."

"I've already got Mitch working on it, Boss," Mike responded.

"He stayed pretty clear of the cameras, but we did get a brief shot of him as he passed by Mystique," Mitch piped in, "I'm emailing it to Detective Cho as we speak."

"Good. Danny, in my office--now."

Danny followed Ed up the steps in a daze, glancing hopelessly at the image still on the main screen.

"I know this is a nightmare, kid, but you've got to get your head on straight. You're no good to Mary like this," Ed spoke gently, but firmly as he closed the door to his office, "I'm going to call Keller and find out what the hell happened."

At the mention of Jack Keller's name Danny looked up, "We just talked to him, Ed! How could Jake be planning this and Jack not know about it?" his question coming out more like an accusation.

"I don't know, but I swear to you if Jack had anything to do with this—I'll kill him myself."


	23. Chapter 23

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 23**

"Are you out of your mind, Porter!"

"Relax, Mr. Keller. I've got everything under control. Besides, you're being well compensated for your assistance. The money I'm paying you should be more than enough to make up for any misgivings you may have about any of this."

"Misgivings? I was supposed to be in charge of this operation! This thing required meticulous planning and execution and you've probably just signed all of our death warrants."

Jake rolled his eyes at the older man, "Now you're just being dramatic. The plan was executed perfectly. The package is on its way to me as we speak and the guys at the Montecito are probably still scratching their heads trying to figure out how to turn off the sprinklers."

Jack stared in disbelief, overwhelmed by Jake's arrogance. "The number one thing I learned in all my years is never underestimate Ed Deline. We needed to have an exit strategy in place. I told you we needed more time to distance ourselves from the situation before we made a move."

"You mean _you_ needed to distance yourself from _me_," Jake exploded, "the fact is, Mr. Keller, I don't trust you. I never have and I couldn't take the chance that you would tip them off to our plan. I saw an opportunity and I took it. It's as simple as that. Now if you'll excuse me, my guest should be arriving shortly."

As Jake headed out of the office, Jack shook his head and spoke to himself, "What the hell have you gotten yourself into now, Jack?"

Mary drifted in and out of consciousness as the truck bounced over rocky terrain. She tried to clear her head and concentrate on staying awake, but the drugs in her system made it difficult. She realized once again that she was in some sort of box, probably the same box she'd been in since they left Vegas. While she was not sure how much time had passed, she knew they'd traveled a great distance--first by car, then by plane and now by truck.

She did not recognize the man who had taken her, but there was no doubt in her mind he worked for Jake. In her short periods of lucidity he'd only spoken to her briefly—mainly to order her to stay quiet and warn what would happen if she did not.

The vehicle came to an abrupt stop and suddenly Mary was more afraid than ever. As she was pulled from the truck her eyes adjusted to the harsh light of day and she focused her gaze on the face of pure evil. Jake was standing on the front steps of a palatial villa, most likely somewhere in Central America judging by the scenery, as storm clouds rumbled in the distance behind him.

"Hello, sweetie. Did you miss me?" Jake's voice was calm, but the maniacal look in his eyes caused Mary to shake uncontrollably.

"Let me go, Jake," she tried to sound confident.

"Oh, no. I don't think so. I've worked too hard to get you back."

Mary was angry now, "I don't belong to you, Jake. No matter what you do to me I will never be yours."

Jake's eyes narrowed as he regarded her defiant stance. He took two steps forward and grasped her chin tightly in his hand.

"That's where you're wrong, Mary. You see, I know what buttons to push. I know how to make you do exactly what I say."

At Mary's confused look, Jake continued, "I managed to outsmart the great Ed Deline and steal you right out from under his nose. How hard do you think it would be for me to eliminate your precious Danny?"

Mary's eyes filled with tears as she considered Jake's words, but her anger was mounting.

"You may have tricked them once, but believe me when I tell you it won't ever happen again. Danny is coming for me and when he gets here, you're as good as dead," she spat.

Jake laughed at her bravado and leaned in close to her face, "You've gotten so feisty, Mary. I think I like it."

With those words he kissed her hard on the mouth. His hand on her chin prevented her from turning away, but as soon as Mary felt his tongue force its way past her lips, she bit down hard.

Jake cried out in pain and stumbled away from Mary. When he felt the coppery taste of blood in his mouth he reached out and backhanded her hard across the face.

"Take her upstairs," he ordered his men, "I'll deal with her later."

Mary struggled violently as two men escorted her up the steps of the villa.

"If she won't settle down then give her another dose," Jake called after them, "not too much, though. Tonight will be so much more enjoyable if she's awake."

Mary turned back to see Jake's menacing smile as his eyes roamed the length of her body. She continued to struggle as she thought about what Jake might have in store for her. Mary just hoped that Danny would be able to get to her before their lives were broken forever.

_Somewhere over Central America…_

"Ed, are you sure you're up for this?"

"I used to jump out of planes all the time, kid. Piece of cake."

"Yeah, but it's been awhile."

"Are you trying to say I'm old?"

Danny smiled, "Of course not."

The plane rocked violently as Danny secured his chute and checked their supplies.

"I'm not really comfortable letting you guys jump in this storm," the pilot yelled from the cockpit, "the weather should be clear in the morning. We can try again then."

"Thanks for your concern, but we're going now," Danny raised his voice over the noise of the engines and moved towards the open door, Ed close behind.

The pilot looked at both men incredulously, "What the hell've you got down there worth jumping for?"

"Everything," Danny yelled as he took the first step out of the plane—one step closer to having Mary back in his arms.


	24. Chapter 24

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 24**

"If my calculations are correct, the villa should be two miles east--over that next hill."

The rain was pouring down in sheets and Danny had to yell to make sure Ed could hear him. While the storm had hopefully allowed them to drop in undetected, it would make it extremely difficult to traverse the jungle terrain.

"We need to be careful of mudslides. Watch your footing and try not to fall behind," Danny ordered as he folded the map and stowed a few items in his pack. Ed watched Danny and realized that his young protégé was in full military mode.

"I'll try to keep up," the older man replied.

Danny looked up, horrified, "Ed, I'm sorry. I guess I'm just so focused on …, I forgot…," before he could finish, Ed cut him off.

"It's okay, kid. Thanks for the warning. Now, let's get moving."

Danny looked at his boss, his friend—the man who had been so much like a father to him in recent months. "If I don't get a chance to tell you later--thank you—for everything," Ed had already started walking in the direction Danny had indicated so he stopped and turned to face the young man.

He stared at Danny a moment before a small smile spread across his face, "Come on, kid. Mary's waiting for you."

Danny closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer that Ed was right before hurrying to catch up as they headed deeper into the jungle.

With the extreme weather conditions and difficult terrain, it took Ed and Danny almost an hour to reach Jake's compound. Ed studied the layout through his night-vision goggles as Danny researched the blueprints of the main house.

"There are guards everywhere, Danny. We've got to figure out a way to bypass them."

"That's going to be difficult. This place has more security than the Montecito."

Ed spotted something in the far corner of the property that gave him hope.

"I think we just found our ticket in. Take a look—2 o'clock," he said as he passed Danny the goggles.

Danny's expression hardened as he saw what had captured Ed's attention. "Son of a bitch," he cursed under his breath.

Jack Keller hurried through the bungalow he'd called home for the last six months, stuffing everything he could into the open suitcases he'd laid out on the bed.

"Señor Keller, what are you doing? Señor Porter said you were not to leave," the man Jack had come to know as Manuel spoke softly, but with an air of intimidation.

"You go back up to the house and tell _Señor_ Porter that I don't give a damn what he says. I'm getting the hell out of here and he'd be wise to do the same."

"I will relay your message, Señor, but until I return I must insist that you stay on the property."

"Whatever," Jack muttered as he continued packing.

After a few minutes there was soft knock at the door.

"That was fast," Jack said to himself.

Jack started speaking loudly as he reached for the door, "I don't care what you say, I'm not waiting around for Ed Deline to kick my ass." As soon as Jack swung the door open he was greeted with a fist to the face, knocking him flat on his back.

"Too late, buddy," Ed spoke as he stepped over Jack's prone form. Danny followed him inside and secured the lock.

"Ed, good to see you. I'm glad you're here," Jack still sat on the floor clutching his nose which was now gushing blood.

"Cut the crap, Keller. Where's Mary," Danny grabbed Jack by the collar and pulled him to his feet.

When Jack didn't answer right away Danny hit him in the face again.

"Jesus--watch the nose. There's only so many times I can have this thing put back together."

Ed stepped in and pushed Jack down onto the couch.

"Jack, I'm done playing games. I trusted you with something and once again you betrayed me. This isn't just about money this time, you put my family in danger and you're going to help us now or I'm going to kill you."

"You're going to kill me anyway," Jack responded smugly to his old friend.

Ed considered his words before responding, "Probably, but at least you'll die with a clear conscience."

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," Jake whispered in Mary's ear as she lay on the large four-poster bed.

Mary slowly opened her eyes as she felt hot kisses falling across her neck and collar bone. A soft hand lightly ran its way from her fingertips up to her shoulder

"Danny?" she whispered.

"Guess again," Jake sing-songed as he grabbed her upper arm forcefully.

Mary wrenched herself free, pushing Jake away and scurrying off the bed and across the room.

Jake didn't hesitate before he advanced on her, cornering Mary against the wall next to the fireplace. She reached out and grabbed the poker but with Jake so close she couldn't raise her hand to strike. He grasped her wrist and twisted it until the pain caused her to release the make-shift weapon.

"Uh-uh-uh. That's not nice. What happened to that sweet innocent girl I fell in love with?"

"She woke up and realized the man she was with was a monster," Mary spat.

Jake placed one of his large hands around her neck and began to apply pressure. Mary's eyes filled with fear as she struggled to breathe.

"Take that back," Jake's voice was eerily calm.

"Jake, please," Mary gasped.

"Take it back," he said again, increasing the pressure.

After a few moments, Mary's eyes rolled back in her head and her body went limp. Jake released his grip and watched her slide to the floor just as a knock sounded at the door.

"Sir, Jack Keller is gone."

"Search the area. He couldn't have gotten far."

"Yes, sir," the man dutifully bowed and turned to exit the room.

"And, Ricardo," Jake stopped him, "get the Suburban ready. Ms. Connell and I are leaving tonight."


	25. Chapter 25

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 25**

"If you're lying again, Jack, it's not going to be pretty," Ed's voice was menacing as he, Danny and Jack Keller crouched behind a retaining wall overlooking the garden.

"I'm not lying, Ed. This place was built by an old Columbian drug cartel. There's a hatch underneath that far hedge that leads to the wine cellar. Behind the west wall in the cellar is another passageway that leads to the master suite. That's probably where they're keeping her."

"What do you think, kid?" Ed asked Danny as he stared intently at the armed guards posted on the roof of the house.

"It's getting dark so I think if I follow this wall I can make it all the way around the pool without being seen. I'll go in and find Mary. We'll never get out of here on foot so the two of you need to secure a vehicle that can get us to the rendezvous point."

"I'm not letting you go in there alone, Danny," Ed's voice was stern.

"Ed, we don't have a choice. We can't leave Keller on his own. He'll rat us out the first chance he gets."

"Hey, I'm right here, you know," Jack jumped in, sounding insulted, "Look, I'm sorry for what happened. I was trying to play both sides and I screwed up! I thought I could take Porter's money and still warn you about his plans, but I was wrong. It turns out he didn't trust me either."

"Big surprise, jackass," Danny mumbled under his breath.

They didn't have time to worry about Keller now. They needed to concentrate on Mary. Danny worked hard to tamp down his anger since it would only serve to distract him.

"I tell you what, Jack. You help us get Mary out of here safe and sound—no tricks--and we'll let her decide what we should do with you," Ed's proposition caused Danny to shoot a questioning look at his boss.

"She still as sweet as she used to be?" Jack asked tentatively.

"The girl's got a heart of gold," Ed assured him with a nod.

"You know, I would have helped you anyways, but it's nice to know that I might possibly come out of this thing alive," Jack grinned like a Cheshire cat.

Danny immediately grabbed him by the collar and looked him in the eye, "But let's get one thing straight, Keller. If anything happens to Mary—and I mean ANYTHING—I will not hesitate to put a bullet in your head. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Jack responded with a nervous laugh.

The short distance to the hatch had proved difficult to traverse. Several times Danny had to take cover for fear of being spotted. He'd finally reached the low hedge and slipped inside undetected. Once in the cellar he had easily found his way to the other passage and into the master suite.

He quietly opened the door which led into the bedroom, wanting to make sure that no one was in the room with her. She was laid out on the bed, unconscious--from what he had no idea. He briefly considered his options if he could not wake her. Carrying her was not a problem, but the passage from the garden to the cellar was small and tight—not enough room for one person carrying another. He would have to drag her and he wasn't looking forward to that scenario.

He used the small camera Mike had equipped him with to slide under the door and view the outside hallway--only one man stood guard. Danny secured the interior lock on the door. He didn't expect it would keep anyone out for long, but a few extra seconds might make all the difference.

As he finally allowed himself to approach the bed he immediately noticed the dark bruises forming on Mary's neck. His heart beat fast in his chest as he imagined the hell she had already been through. He softly sank down next to her and smoothed her hair away from her face—leaning forward and peppering her skin with soft kisses.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," he said quietly.

It only took half a second for Mary to react violently, catching Danny completely off guard. Her hand reached out and grabbed the first thing she could find—an iron candlestick that sat on the nightstand. She struck with such speed and force that Danny had little time to react. The blow sent him sprawling across her body and onto the bed. Danny struggled to clear his blurred vision as Mary scrambled out from under him and ran for the window, never looking back.

"Stay away from me, you son of a bitch," Mary said as she tried desperately to open the door to the balcony. She knew there were probably guards in the hallway, but if she could jump from the balcony, she might stand a chance at making a run for it. Tears sprung to her eyes as she realized the balcony door required a key—a key that she did not have. Mary momentarily thought about breaking the glass, but realized that would cause too much noise and might attract the attention of the men outside.

As she turned back around to scan the room for another means of escape her eyes landed on the bed. It took her a moment to realize that the man holding his head in pain and moaning was not Jake, but someone else. With the candlestick still firmly in her grasp, she took cautious steps towards the bed.

"Danny?" Her question came out more like a whimper as she finally realized who it was.

"That wasn't exactly the greeting I was expecting," Danny smiled as he was finally able to raise his battered head and meet her eyes.

Mary was immediately in his arms.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed, "I thought it was him. I'm so sorry, Danny. I just couldn't stand him touching me again."

"Sshhhh. It's okay, baby. I'm okay," Danny assured her, but what she had said suddenly registered and his blood ran cold.

"Mary," he asked hesitantly, "did he hurt you? Did he…," Danny's voice broke as he tried to form the words.

Instantly realizing what he was asking, Mary took his face in her hands, "No! No, Danny. I swear he didn't. He just… I was just afraid…," Mary started sobbing again and Danny realized this wasn't the time or place for this discussion.

"Sshhh. We'll talk about it later. Let's just get out of here," he cooed as he held her close.

Suddenly the door to the bedroom burst open. Danny quickly moved Mary behind him as armed guards rushed into the room.

"That's the best idea you've had all year, McCoy," Jake's voice was smug as he entered the room, "unfortunately for you, Mary and I will be the ones leaving."

One of the guards leveled his gun at Danny's head as the other grabbed Mary by the arm and yanked her from his grasp--pulling her across the room and shoving her into Jake's arms.

"Mary, Mary, Mary," Jake's voice sounded as if he was talking to a small child, "what am I going to do with you? No matter how much I try you're just never going to love me as long as Danny is around, are you?"

"Jake, please don't hurt him. I'll do whatever you want just please don't hurt him," Mary begged, tears streaming down her face.

"Mary, no," Danny pleaded.

"Shut up, McCoy," Jake spat before turning to Mary, "So, you're willing now, but the next time I turn my back…."

"No, I promise," she interrupted, "just let Danny go and we can be together," Mary tried to sound convincing.

"Sorry. I think the only way we're going to be happy, Mary, is if Danny's out of the picture," Jake said as he gripped her upper arms tightly.

"Take care of him," Jake ordered his men as he dragged a struggling Mary from the room and towards the stairs.

"DANNY," Mary screamed just as the sound of machine gun fire echoed through the hallway.


	26. Chapter 26

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.**

**Chapter 26**

Mary struggled violently in Jake's arms as he dragged her down the stairs and out the front door.

"LET ME GO! DANNY!"

"Danny can't help you now," Jake spat as he forced her into the backseat of the Suburban.

Mary kicked and scratched at Jake as he jumped in behind her and tried desperately to restrain her.

"Go, you idiot," he yelled at the driver.

When the car still did not move, he yelled again, "Did you hear me? I said GO!"

Jake shoved the driver's shoulder for emphasis this time and watched as the man slumped over in his seat. It was then Jake and Mary both noticed the stream of blood running down the side of the driver's head.

The momentary distraction was all she needed to make a run for it. Mary threw herself out the door and ran as fast as she could towards the house—determined to get to Danny.

Jake laughed as he watched her run up the steps and back inside.

"No one's going to help you in there, Mary," Jake called after her, "Danny's dead!"

"Guess again."

Jake stopped in his tracks as he looked straight down the barrel of a gun clutched in the hands of a very pissed off Danny McCoy.

"What? How?" Jake sputtered in disbelief.

"I told you to never underestimate Ed Deline," Jack said as he joined Danny outside the door.

"You son of a bitch," Jake screamed, "you're supposed to be working for me!"

"Tsk tsk tsk," Ed said as he joined the other men, "the number one thing I learned in all my years is Jack Keller only works for himself."

Jack and Ed both laughed, but Danny's hard expression never changed and he never took his eyes off Jake. His hand flexed instinctively around the gun—itching to pull the trigger.

"Come on, McCoy. Show us how tough you are. Pull the trigger," Jake taunted.

Danny stepped closer to Jake until the muzzle of the gun was pressed against his forehead.

"Danny, don't," Ed spoke softly, "he's not worth it."

"I can't let him hurt her again, Ed."

"He won't. The authorities are already on the way. With all his ties to the drug cartels down here he'll probably spend the rest of his life in a Venezuelan prison and no amount of money will get him out of it this time."

"You're wrong, Deline. Money is the key that opens every door," Jake replied smugly.

Danny cocked his weapon. At that moment, he finally saw fear in the other man's eyes. He reacted quickly and brought the butt of the gun down hard across the side of Jake's head. As Jake fell to the ground, Danny caught him and delivered an uppercut to his jaw. Jake stumbled down the steps and out into the driveway. Danny holstered his gun and quickly followed. As Jake struggled to get to his feet Danny kicked him hard in the ribs sending him sprawling again. Jake gasped for breath as he lay near the Suburban. Danny grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him up just enough to hit him square in the face. As Danny prepared to hit Jake again, a voice stopped him.

"Danny, please stop. Don't let him turn you into something you're not," Mary pleaded from only a few feet away. Ed had made her promise to stay in the house, but once she heard the fighting she refused to stay hidden.

Danny stared at Jake's bloodied face for a few moments before finally standing up and backing away. He turned to Mary and all but collapsed into her arms. All the emotions he'd tried so hard to control over the last few months suddenly burst to the surface and he buried his head in her neck and sobbed.

"Ssshh. It's over, Danny. It's all over now," Mary told him as she rubbed soothing circles on his back. One of Danny's hands wound its way into Mary's hair while the other gripped her tightly around the waist, pulling her closer to him.

Ed turned away from the scene, feeling like the moment was too private for him to witness. When he noticed Jack still staring at Mary and Danny he cuffed him hard behind the ear.

"What?" Jack asked, exasperated.

"Let's give them some privacy," Ed ordered.

"Fine," Jack sighed dramatically and turned to head back into the house. A glint of something caught his eye and he turned just in time to see Jake pulling a gun from the dead driver's coat and pointing it at Mary and Danny. Before anyone else could react Jack drew his weapon and fired two rounds, Ed did the same only a half a second later.

At the sound of shots Danny fell to the ground, shielding Mary beneath him. He covered her body with his own until he was sure the danger had passed. In the silence that followed, Danny cautiously stood and helped Mary to her feet. They both stared, stunned at Jake's body lying in the drive. Blood seeped from the wounds in his chest and his eyes stared unseeing at the sky.

Mary finally tore her gaze from the gruesome scene, hiding her face in Danny's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and turned to Jack and Ed who stood with their guns still drawn.

"Now it's over," Ed whispered to himself, lowering his weapon.

Jack did the same and looked at Danny. He started to speak, a witty comment on the tip of his tongue, but he stopped himself-- realizing this wasn't the time for humor. Danny gave him an almost imperceptible nod in thanks before lifting Mary into his arms and carrying her inside to wait for the police to arrive.

**The next chapter is the last. Thank you to everyone for reading and letting me know what you think!**

**parmakai66****- if you didn't like mushy Danny you probably won't like this chapter either. I like strong, confident Danny too, but I just figured the poor guy who is afraid of losing everyone he loves was due for a breakdown. But thank you for bringing that up and I will definitely keep that in mind in any future stories.**

**ooljeeaingeal - glad you liked the dialog! I have so much fun writing dialog between these two that sometimes I have to stop myself and go back and fill in the rest of the story.**

**ccabello - thanks for being a faithful reviewer.**

**SinCityChick - glad you liked the story and hope you enjoy the ending.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Meant to Be - PG-13  
Pairing: Danny/Mary  
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.  
**

**Chapter 27**

Mary and Danny walked hand in hand along the secluded beach. They'd arrived late last night after an exhausting day with the Venezuelan authorities. Authorities who were not too excited to be dealing with two ex-CIA agents and a former special forces Marine who had taken the law into their own hands.

It had taken hours of explanation, several calls to high-ranking U.S. officials and a couple of fistfuls of cash before they were allowed to leave the country. Danny wasn't sure how Ed had pulled it off, but Jake's death and the deaths of his men were officially reported to be at the hands of a rival drug cartel. Jake had invested heavily in the drug operations in Venezuela in order to establish himself in the underworld of the country so this explanation would be easily believed. According to the official state department report Mary had escaped and hidden in the jungle until Danny and Ed could reach her. There was no mention of Jack Keller in any of the reports. His involvement with Jake Porter and any role he played in the rescue were not disclosed.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Danny finally spoke, "what were you and Keller talking about for so long on the plane last night?"

"Trust," Mary said cryptically.

When she didn't continue Danny tugged on her hand, stopping their progress. Mary turned to face him and at his confused gaze she smiled.

"We talked about a lot of things, Danny. I thought you and Ed were bad, but that man has a lot of issues," Mary tried to disguise the seriousness of her conversation with Jack with a bit of humor, but Danny wasn't buying it.

"We just talked about how important it is to have other people in your life—people you would die for and who would do the same for you," Mary's eyes filled with tears and Danny squeezed her hand reassuringly so she could continue, "Jack's never had that before. Ed's the closest thing he's ever had to family and when Ed left the agency he felt abandoned. We talked about choices and life's paths. I mean once he started talking he just couldn't seem to stop himself."

"Well, you have that effect on people. You're so sweet and caring that people just naturally want to bare their souls to you."

"Maybe I'm in the wrong profession. I could probably make a killing as a shrink," Mary teased as they continued their stroll.

After a few seconds Mary continued, "I'm sorry if you don't think I made the right decision in letting Jack go. I really think he's going to try to stay out of trouble from now on and I don't think that he'll ever betray Ed again. He realizes now how much it meant for Ed to ask him to watch out for me and he's really sorry about what happened."

When Danny didn't say anything right away, Mary spoke again, "I guess you think that's pretty naïve of me. Poor, silly Mary getting fooled again.."

"I don't think that," Danny insisted.

"One of the things I love about you is how you always see the best in people. I don't think it's silly or naïve—I think it's…," Danny paused as he searched for the right word, "optimistic and I hope that no matter what happens, you don't ever lose that."

"I think that's one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me," Mary stood on her tiptoes to give Danny a soft kiss before continuing down the beach.

"Besides, I think you did the right thing. I mean, he did end up saving our lives," Danny assured her.

"And he did tell us we could use this fabulous house whenever we wanted," Mary added.

"How could I forget," Danny chuckled as he stopped them again and pulled Mary into his arms.

"Speaking of this house—Keller did say this was a private beach, didn't he?"

"Yeah, why?"

Danny had a mischievous glint in his eye, one that Mary had seen many times before.

"What are you thinking, McCoy?"

Danny answered her with a passionate kiss. He devoured her lips with his own—plunging his tongue deep into her mouth. Mary wound her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his short hair. Danny's mouth worked its way across Mary's jaw and down her neck.

Mary moaned as she felt Danny's hands work their way under her shirt and start pushing the offending garment up and off.

"Mmmm, Danny? Let's go back up to the house."

"There's no one here but us, Mary," Danny replied breathlessly as he continued to try to get her shirt over her head.

"I know, but as exciting as this sex on the beach thing sounds—I'm really not looking forward to having sand in places I can't even say without blushing."

"Eeww. I never thought of it like that," Danny replied as he scooped Mary up and hurried towards the house.

"I thought we talked about this, Danny. Not that I don't love the romantic hero carrying me to bed thing every once in awhile, but I'm perfectly capable of walking. I can even run if the occasion calls for it," Mary teased.

"I know, but this qualifies as an emergency, Mare," Danny responded seriously as he bounded up the stone steps and through the front door.

Mary squealed as he carried her into the bedroom and tossed her on the bed before playfully diving on top of her.

After a very enjoyable afternoon of lovemaking, first in the bed and then in the pool, Danny and Mary enjoyed a quiet meal on the veranda overlooking the ocean.

"Danny, I know Ed said we could take as much time as we needed, but I really think I'm ready to go home."

"I thought you said you loved it here?"

"I do. I'm just anxious for our lives to finally get back to normal. Well, as normal as life in Vegas can be."

"I know what you mean. I never thought I'd long for the days when all we had to worry about were drunks, thieves and hookers. I'll call Ed and make arrangements for us to head home tomorrow. Does that sound good?"

"Another whole night here? Whatever shall we do?" Mary asked coyly, batting her eyelashes at Danny.

He smiled slyly before responding, "I'm sure we'll think of something."

THE END.


	28. Chapter 28

**I wrote these awhile back in response to challenges on the Danny/Mary fansite and thought I would add them as Epilogues to Meant to Be. They're pretty much just good old fashioned Danny and Mary fluff. Hope everyone enjoys them!**

**Future - _Meant to Be_ Universe**

**Response to Challenge**

**Requirements for Challenge (Choose 4):**

**--Someone's quick thinking turns out to be a little too rash**

**--A whale is making insane requests**

**--There is a (non fatal/life threatening) incident at the pool**

**--A guest playing a prank ends up making the situation worse**

**--A parade**

**--Someone has gotten no sleep**

**--Something important is missing**

**--Clowns**

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_**Getting It Right**_

Danny waltzed into the Montecito with a huge grin on his face. He patted his suit jacket to make sure the package he'd just picked up was safe and secure in the inside pocket. Danny had been waiting for this weekend for a long time and he wasn't going to let anything ruin it. All they had to do was get through the concert tomorrow and then his grand plan could begin. He walked across the casino floor and up to the security room, a spring in his step.

"What the hell is that noise? Are you whistling?" Ed obviously was not feeling as jubilant as his protégé.

The song coming from Danny's mouth abruptly stopped at Ed's words.

"Yeah, I guess," he meekly replied as Mike sat next to him, smirking.

"Well knock it off and get up here. We've got a lot to go over before tomorrow."

The two men quickly jumped from their seats and followed their boss.

"Dude, were you just whistling The Love Boat theme?" Mike couldn't resist.

"Shut up, Mike," Danny grumbled as they headed up the stairs to Ed's office.

---

MTV was hosting their Summer Pool Party at the Montecito tomorrow and everything had to be perfect. Mary had been working non-stop for two weeks to make sure the televised concert went off without a hitch and she was looking forward to some much needed R&R. Danny had promised a weekend getaway, but he had yet to tell her their destination. At this point Mary didn't care where they were going as long as it had a bed. She was dead on her feet and she still had to get through the actual event tomorrow. Hopefully, she'd be able to get some sleep tonight so she could handle any crises that would inevitably come up before the concert.

As she walked towards the pool to check on the stage set up she saw Danny heading her direction.

"Hey, beautiful," he said as he leaned down to kiss her cheek, "you look tired."

"I'm exhausted. Promise me you don't have anything planned this weekend that involves me doing any activity in a vertical position."

Danny chuckled as he replied, "No, everything I have planned for this weekend can definitely be done in a horizontal position."

"I meant SLEEP, horn dog!" Mary's tone was amused but exasperated.

"Oh, sleep! Yeah, we can do that too," Danny said as they both headed out the double doors which led to the main pool area.

While Mary felt they needed at least a full day to prepare, Monica had insisted on keeping the pool open to all hotel guests until just a few hours before the party. She didn't see any reason to lose the income that invariably came from the poolside bar service and cabana rentals just to prep for a concert. She ignored Ed and Mary's warnings of liability issues and ordered everyone to just work around the swimmers and sunbathers.

Just as Mary and Danny reached the first stage a scream brought their attention to the middle of the pool. Swimmers began scrambling like ants away from a large red stain that was quickly spreading through the water. People were pushing each other out of the way and unintentionally holding others under the water in their desperate attempt to flee. Mary watched horrified as a young girl struggled wildly near the mass of what looked to be blood. Recognizing right away that she was in trouble, Danny didn't hesitate before he dove into the water and swam to her. He carried the child out of the pool and gently placed her on a towel Mary had laid out.

Danny quickly examined the little girl and was shocked to find there was no blood anywhere on her. She appeared to be scared, but unharmed.

"I want my mommy," the girl cried.

Her mother was there in an instant.

"Give me my baby," she screamed as she quickly scooped her up and carried her away.

"I don't understand? Where did all that blood in the pool come from?"

At that moment two security guards approached Danny holding onto four very contrite looking teenage boys.

"We found these kids hiding in the bushes, Danny. It looks like they were making water balloons with fake blood."

"Take them up to one of the holding rooms and see if you can find their parents. I'll be up there in a few minutes."

Danny turned to Mary who was staring dazedly at the pool, most of which had taken on a pinkish hue.

"I'm so getting fired for this."

"Don't say that. This wasn't your fault. We'll figure something out."

If Mary heard his words she didn't acknowledge it. With a quick kiss to the temple and a promise to find someone to help, Danny left her standing there still staring out at the water. Now she was faced with the grim duty of informing Monica of the incident. As she turned to head inside, something on the sidewalk where Danny had laid the little girl caught her eye.

---

It was several hours later by the time Danny was able to change out of his once-sopping wet clothes. He'd discarded his jacket earlier and the rest of his suit had dried, but his shoes still squeaked with water as he walked down the hallway to the employee locker room, fresh clothes in hand. He couldn't believe what a day from hell this had been. After Ed had kindly asked the families of the four boys to leave the hotel, Danny had been charged with escorting them all from the premises. After that was done he'd helped Mary find a company who was willing to work all night to drain and refill the pool before the concert.

"Hey, man, you headed home?" Danny didn't even realize Mike had followed him into the locker room until he heard his voice.

"No, I'm just going to change and head out to the pool to see if there's anything I can do to help Mary," he replied as he quickly made a pile of his ruined clothes.

As Danny reached into his locker to retrieve his suit jacket and add it to the pile he had a terrible thought. He frantically started searching through the jacket pockets looking for the small box he'd placed there earlier.

"No, no, no. This isn't happening," he mumbled as he continued his search through the discarded clothes.

"Danny, what's wrong? What are you looking for?"

"Mary's ring! I had it in my pocket earlier today and now it's gone. It must have fallen out when I was in the pool."

"Oh, man, that's bad."

---

It was approaching midnight as Danny convinced Mary to go up to her office and try to sleep while he oversaw the cleaning efforts. He did not let on to her that he had an ulterior motive. He was desperate to find the engagement ring he hoped was lying somewhere at the bottom of the pool. He searched through the night and enlisted the help of countless others, but by morning it was obvious the ring was not in the water.

Danny walked dejectedly back to the locker room for one more search of his suit pockets. As he opened the locker door his eyes lit up. Sitting on the top metal shelf was a small, black velvet box. He quickly opened it and was relieved to see the brilliant diamonds shining back at him.

The ring had belonged to his mother. He'd been in such a hurry to ask Mary the first time he'd simply given her the ring exactly as he'd found it. This time he wanted to do things differently. While it was important to him that Mary have his mother's ring he wanted to do something to make the ring special—something just for her. He'd taken it to a jeweler and had them add two pear-shaped diamonds to either side of the original round center stone. The result was stunning.

"Hey, you found it," Mike's voice echoed through the locker room.

"Someone must have put it in my locker. I thought maybe it was you."

"Not me. That's weird that it just appeared there. Everyone knew we were looking for it, you'd think whoever found it would just bring it to you."

"I'm not going to question it anymore. I'm just glad I have it back."

---

Despite all the problems leading up to it, the concert went off without a hitch. As things began to wind down in the afternoon Ed told Mary and Danny to go ahead and head out before something else happened to spoil their weekend plans.

When they reached the airport Danny informed Mary they were headed to Aspen for three days of relaxation. Once they arrived they were driven to a home high on the mountain with a stunning view of the gondola and ski slopes. Since it was summer there was little snow, but the view was still breathtaking. Tears formed in Mary's eyes as she stepped out onto the balcony.

"It's beautiful, Danny. How did you find this house?"

"Do you remember Mr. Kepps?"

"Sam's whale from a few weeks ago? The one who wanted the bathtub in his suite to be kept full of green Jello?"

Danny smiled as he remembered the incident.

"That's the one. Well, he was so grateful to Sam and I for helping him out that he offered each of us the use of his house."

Danny wrapped his arms around Mary and placed soft kisses on her neck.

"Danny, I know this is supposed to be a romantic weekend, but I'm so tired right now I'm about to pass out."

"I know, baby. Let's sleep for awhile," he easily lifted her in his arms and carried her to the large four-poster bed.

---

"Mary woke to the smell of coffee and vanilla. Before she could venture out of bed in search of sustenance, Danny appeared at the bedroom door holding a tray covered with food.

"Wow, breakfast in bed. . . a girl could get used to this."

"Well, don't get too used to it. It took me 30 minutes just to figure out which pan to use for what," Danny said as he set down the breakfast tray which consisted of French toast, fruit, bacon, coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice.

By the time they were finished eating Mary was starting to fidget under Danny's gaze. He had been staring at her throughout the entire meal and she'd had enough.

"What are you staring at?" she finally asked.

"I'm sorry. Was I staring?"

"Yes, and it's starting to freak me out. Is there something on your mind?"

Danny thought for a moment before he jumped from the bed and ran to the closet. Mary waited while he rummaged through his suitcase until he located whatever it was he needed and joined her on the bed again.

"I was going to wait until later to do this. I had this whole dinner, dancing, carriage ride thing planned, but I just realized something. I don't want to wait anymore. Besides, it's not about all that fancy stuff—it's just about you and me--together. I love you, Mary. I think I've loved you my whole life and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it. I don't want to wake up another morning without knowing that you'll be with me always."

Tears streamed down Mary's face as she quietly asked, "What are you trying to say?"

Danny slowly reached behind his back and pulled out the ring. He took her left hand in his and placed it on her finger.

"Will you marry me?"

Without warning Mary launched herself at Danny pushing him flat on his back. She peppered his face with kisses as she repeated the words "I love you" over and over again.

Danny chuckled as he gently rolled her underneath him. "I guess that's a 'yes'."

"That's definitely a 'yes'," Mary replied as she pulled his head down for another kiss.

---

As Danny lay sated and sleeping, Mary took the opportunity to inspect her engagement ring. The sunlight streaming through the window caused the diamonds to sparkle. She knew the original stone was his mother's—she would recognize it anywhere--but she was touched to see he had added something that was meant only for her. She knew how important it was to him to get things right this time around. It was the reason she did not tell him she'd been the one to find the ring. Mary wondered if he would ever tell her himself about losing it, but she knew it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the man in her arms and their new life together.


	29. Chapter 29

**Future _Meant to Be_ Universe – Halloween Challenge**

**Requirements for Challenge:**

**--A pumpkin (it can be a fiasco, carving, etc.)**

**--something reminiscent of a scary movie (a quote, scene, etc.--put an author's note in telling what movie your something is from)**

**--a costume mishap**

**--at least one group of trick-or-treaters**

------------------------------------------------------------

**_Costume Party_**

"TRICK OR TREAT!"

"Wow, look at all of you! You look great," Mary cooed as she passed out candy to the five or six kids who stood on the porch.

Each kid took their turn at the door with their candy bag wide open as Mary doled out handfuls of treats.

She could hear yells of, "Thanks," "Thank you," and "Thanks, Mrs. McCoy," as the kids scrambled to the next house.

Mary smiled as the last little boy addressed her by name. She and Danny had been married over a year and she still found herself grinning like an idiot every time someone called her 'Mrs. McCoy.'

As she shut the front door, Mary felt a hand sneak around her waist—a very furry hand.

"Do you have anything in that basket of goodies for me, little girl?"

"Don't you think you've had enough candy for one day?" Mary questioned as she turned in Danny's arms.

"I wasn't talking about candy," Danny replied as he waggled his bushy eyebrows and began nuzzling her neck.

"Danny, stop," Mary giggled as he nibbled her ear with his fake teeth.

DING DONG

Mary took that opportunity to push Danny away and put her hands on her hips, "Would you please get the door so I can finish getting ready?"

"Are you going to be this bossy from now on?" Danny asked

"Probably," Mary replied

"Well, you better be nice or I'll huff and puff and blow your house down," Danny playfully growled.

"That's the wrong story, goofball. You're supposed to be the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood."

"I always thought it was the same wolf."

"I don't think so," Mary said as she looked at him skeptically.

"What, you don't think it's possible to have a wolf who likes pigs and grandmas?"

Mary rolled her eyes and headed upstairs to put the finishing touches on her costume.

---

Mystique was full of partygoers attending the annual Montecito Halloween Bash. Ed had decided this year that all proceeds from the ticket sales would go to the Children's Shelter. In keeping with the kid's theme he also decided that everyone should dress up as a favorite childhood character. Danny and Mary had decided to go as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf and they were eager to see what everyone else had chosen.

"Hey, guys. How's it going?" Delinda immediately approached her two friends as they entered the party.

"Hey, great costume!" Mary said as she pulled Delinda into a hug. Delinda was dressed as Princess Jasmine from Aladdin. Her sheer pants and midriff-bearing top left little to the imagination.

"Daddy says this is too risqué for a children's benefit, but it's not like the kids are actually here."

"I still say it's too sexy," Ed interrupted as he and Jillian joined the group, dressed as Captain Hook and Sleeping Beauty.

Danny gave Delinda an obvious once over before commenting, "I think you look great."

Mary gave her husband a playful swat to the chest before excusing herself and heading across the room to say hello to Sam.

"Daddy, there's Mr. Vincent from the Shelter," Delinda said as she headed towards the entrance to the restaurant.

"Jillian, we really should say hello to him," Ed told his wife.

"I'll be right there, Eddie," Jillian replied.

As soon as Ed and Delinda were out of earshot, Jillian crossed her arms and glared at Danny.

"What? What'd I say?" Danny asked, clueless.

"You're not supposed to check out other women in front of your wife."

"Mary knows I love her more than anything in this world. She knows I don't mean anything by it."

"That may be so, but she's probably extra sensitive right now. You need to be careful what you say and do."

Danny stared at Jillian dumbfounded. "She told you?"

"No, I figured it out yesterday when we were carving pumpkins for the party. Delinda wanted to get an early start so she decided to clean out all the pumpkins last weekend, not realizing that pumpkins don't last that long once you cut them," Jillian led Danny to a quieter corner of Mystique as she continued her story, "they weren't rotted, but they were beginning to smell a little pungent. Mary turned three shades of green and high-tailed it to the ladies' room," Danny nodded his head as Jillian relayed a scene that was all too familiar to him.

"For a moment I thought her head was going to start spinning and she'd spew split pea soup everywhere. Luckily, the Exorcist reenactment didn't happen. She tried to tell me it was the stomach flu, but a mother can tell these things. How far along is she?"

"Only eleven weeks. Mary wanted to wait to tell everyone until we were sure everything was going to be alright."

"Well, I promise to keep it a secret, but if she needs to talk to someone I'm always here--for both of you."

Jillian patted Danny on the chest before heading off to join Ed.

He turned to see Mary laughing and chatting with Sam who was dressed appropriately as Cruella DeVil. Jillian was right. Mary had been especially sensitive lately. She knew he was a hopeless flirt—it was just his nature--but he realized with all the hormones raging she might not see things so clearly. The last thing he wanted was Mary to be stressed out or worried about their relationship when she needed to concentrate on herself and the baby. Danny sighed deeply and headed off to join his wife.

"What are you two laughing about," Danny asked as he held Mary tightly from behind, letting his hands rest on her still-flat stomach. Mary leaned back against him, obviously enjoying the feel of his strong arms around her.

"You know how much Mike hated Ed's new pit boss. He kept insisting on a friendly wager over how long the guy would last. I finally had to agree so he would shut up. The funny part is the winner got to pick the loser's Halloween costume," Sam couldn't stop herself from laughing as she explained to Danny the terms of the bet.

"And I'm guessing by your state of amusement that you were the winner," Danny asked with a grin.

"You're damn right I won. You are going to die when you see Mike's costume."

At that moment Mary began laughing uncontrollably as she caught sight of Mike entering from the kitchen. Danny and Sam noticed too and quickly burst into hysterics.

"Laugh it up, guys," Mike grumbled.

"Mike, you look…. I'm not really sure how to describe it," Mary spoke between giggles.

"Lovely is a good word. You look lovely," Danny responded once he could stifle his laughter.

"Shut up, man," was Mike's response as he turned to Sam, "I hope you're enjoying this, Ms. Marquez, because payback is a bitch."

"Mike, I swear to you that is not the costume I sent over," Sam could barely breathe as she tried to defend herself.

"Yeah, right. You know you wanted to humiliate me and you succeeded."

"Oh, I definitely wanted to humiliate you, but this is too good even for me," Sam replied, having calmed down somewhat from her initial shock at Mike's attire, "I sent over a Peter Pan costume. I thought you'd look cute in the tights, but this is much better."

"Are you serious? How the hell did I end up with this?"

At that moment, Ed and Jillian walked up, "Are you mocking my theme, Mr. Cannon?"

"Ed, no, of course not. You see, there was this bet…and then there was some kind of mix-up with the costume… and," Mike stumbled through an explanation.

"Bet? Were you gambling in my casino?" Ed asked incredulously.

"No. You see it was actually Sam."

"Stop trying to push this off on someone else. I hope this will be a lesson to you that you should not be wagering while you're working for me," Ed's voice was stern.

"Yes, boss. I promise—never again," Mike quickly assured him.

"Now, all of you stop standing around and mingle. This is a party," Ed barked and the group quickly scattered.

Jillian glanced at her husband and noticed the amused smile on his face as he watched Mike make his way to the dance floor.

"By the way, Eddie. There was a message at the house before I left this afternoon from the costume shop. I thought it was a mistake so I didn't tell you about it, but now I'm sure it was for you."

"What did it say?"

"The extra large Little Bo Peep costume needs to be back by noon tomorrow."

---

"Baby, we're home," Danny whispered as he softly ran his hand down Mary's face.

The doctor had told her that she'd probably be overly tired—especially in the first few months—so she should get as much rest as possible. She'd fallen asleep in the car on the way home from the party and Danny hated to wake her, but he knew he wouldn't be able to get her out of her costume and into bed without some assistance.

Mary slowly opened her eyes and noticed they were parked under the carport of the house. Danny jumped out of the car and ran to the passenger's side to open her door.

Once inside Mary went straight to the master bath and began removing her clothes and make-up. Danny used the guest bathroom to take off his own make-up and costume, joining Mary in their bedroom once he was done.

Danny saw Mary hesitate as she reached the bed. She turned to face him and the look on her face told him she had something important to say.

"Danny, do you think…," Mary said before stopping herself.

Jillian's words fresh in his mind, Danny anticipated her question and quickly crossed the room to take Mary in his arms.

"Mary, you are my whole world and I want you to know that I love you. You are the most beautiful person I've ever known and I am so thankful every day that you're my wife. You're the other half of my soul. This baby is going to be the best part of both of us and it's only going to make our love stronger."

"Oh, Danny, that's so sweet and I love you too," she responded through her tears.

Danny held her close and softly rocked her as he ran his fingers through her hair. They stayed that way for a few moments before Danny pulled back from the embrace and looked into her eyes.

"Now, what did you want to ask me?"

"Oh, umm, do you think you could go to the store for me?" Mary asked shyly.

Danny couldn't help but chuckle as he looked into Mary's pleading face. He rested his forehead against hers and asked, "What do you need me to get?"

"All of a sudden I'm having this weird craving for split pea soup."


	30. Chapter 30

**Future _Meant to Be _Universe**

**Response to Valentine's Day Challenge**

**Requirements for Challenge:**

**--Someone eats an entire box of chocolates by him- or herself.**

**--Someone is very anti-Valentine's Day.**

**--Someone receives a singing valentine from a guy dressed as cupid.**

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**_Sweet Valentine_**

"Happy Valentine's Day," Danny whispered in his wife's ear as he felt her stir in his arms.

"Mmmmm. Happy Valentine's Day," Mary replied, turning her head to greet her husband with a 'good morning' kiss.

"Do you want your present?"

"Danny, I thought we were going to wait? Your present won't be ready until tonight."

"I'll wait for mine, but I want you to have yours now," he said, holding up a large white envelope. Mary sat up so her back was to the headboard before taking it from his hands and tearing it open. Her eyes filled with tears when she saw what was inside. It was an exact replica of the Valentine's he'd made for her in the fourth grade—the one he'd given her the day they kissed behind the swings. The red heart had been carefully cut from construction paper and was outlined with artfully placed macaroni noodles, colored with black magic marker. In the middle of the heart, silver glitter spelled out 'D + M 4-EVER'.

"Danny…I think this is even sweeter than the one you gave me all those years ago. Nothing could be more perfect." Any other girl might have been disappointed that their husband had foregone the usual array of Valentine's Day gifts in favor of a homemade heart, but Mary would take something like this over jewelry any day.

"Well, I guess since you like it so much I should just take this one back." Danny held up a long, flat box—professionally wrapped in white iridescent paper and adorned with a red bow.

Mary's eyes lit up and Danny laughed at her reaction. She glanced down at the beautiful heart in her lap and back at the package several times before taking the corner of her bottom lip in to her mouth for just a bit. While Danny's homemade Valentine had been perfect, there was certainly no rule that said she couldn't have two presents. Giving her husband a quick kiss to distract him, she snatched the gift from his hand and ripped through the paper and bow--opening the box to reveal the most exquisite diamond bracelet she'd ever seen.

"It's…beautiful."

Danny carefully removed the delicate piece from the box and fastened it securely around her wrist. "I love you," he whispered, leaning in for a soft kiss—a kiss which soon intensified as Mary wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Danny's hand caressed her neck before slowly moving down her shoulder—taking the strap of her nightgown with it.

"DA-DA! DA-DA-DA-DA-DA!"

Danny playfully groaned as the voice grew more insistent. He sighed and gave Mary one last peck before heading out of the room. "I'm coming, buddy," he yelled, before disappearing down the hallway.

Mary leaned back against the headboard, holding her hand up to get a better look at her husband's stunning gift, but it only took a moment before she was face to face with the most precious gift Danny had ever given her—their 10 month old son.

Dylan McCoy had made his entrance in the front seat of his Daddy's prized Camaro—four weeks early and six miles from the nearest hospital. Despite his small size upon arrival, he'd been a perfectly healthy baby and had been growing steadily and amazing his parents ever since.

"Good morning, sweetie. Can momma have a kiss," Mary cooed as Danny handed her the baby and headed for the bathroom. Dylan squealed with delight at the sight of his mother and placed his chubby little hands on Mary's cheeks before giving her a sloppy kiss.

As Dylan bounced in Mary's lap, she called out to her husband, "Danny, are you sure Ed and Jillian don't mind keeping him tonight?"

"It was Jillian's idea. You know she's been dying to keep Dylan and Ed's just happy that they have an excuse not to do any 'foo-foo Valentine's mumbo jumbo'—and that's a direct quote from the man himself."

"He's really not into the hearts and flowers thing, is he?" Mary chuckled.

"He thinks the whole day is a gimmick cooked up by the greeting card companies. He'd probably boycott Valentine's Day altogether if it wouldn't cost him his marriage. I think he and Jillian have finally come to an understanding after 30 years of marriage. He agrees to acknowledge the day with a very expensive gift and her favorite chocolates if she agrees not to give him a hard time about the 'romance crap'—again, another quote."

When Mary heard the shower turn on she picked up Dylan and headed back to the nursery to get him ready for the day. By the time she was done, Danny was dressed for work and she handed the baby off to him for feeding so she could get ready too.

---

"Oh, thank God. Mary, you have to help me." She'd just come back in from meeting Jillian in the parking lot. They'd both decided since the car seat was already securely fastened in Mary's Tahoe that it would just be easier to trade vehicles for the night. Mary definitely wasn't going to pass up the chance to drive Jillian's new Mercedes convertible.

"Mike, you look terrible. What's going on?" Mike was sweating profusely and seemed to be on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Omigod, Mary. Something happened…," Mike struggled to catch his breath as he pulled Mary to the side.

"What? Mike, is it Danny? Is Danny okay?" Mary was frantic as she grabbed her friend by the shoulders and shook him.

"No…no," Mike assured her. "Danny's fine, it's just…I did something…something stupid…and…"

Mary put her hand to her chest, trying to calm her pounding heart. "Mike, you scared me. Tell me what happened."

"Well, you know Mr. D orders those special chocolates every year."

"Yes, he has them shipped from Switzerland. They're Jillian's favorite."

"Yeah. Well, there was a mix-up and the package ended up at the airport Fed Ex station--so he sent me to get it."

"He what? Mike, why didn't you tell him about your…problem?"

"He already thinks I'm crazy because of the claustrophobia, Mare. He'd probably have me committed if he knew about the other thing."

"Okay, so…you picked up the package and then what?

"I wanted to make sure they weren't damaged so I opened the box."

"Mike." Mary shook her head as she realized the turn this story was about to take.

"I just wanted to see them, Mary. You know—just look at them in the box."

"But you didn't just look at them, did you?" She had switched to what Danny liked to call her mom voice. It had manifested sometime around the time Dylan had figured out how to pull himself up and grab everything in sight.

"NO," Mike almost cried. "I couldn't stop myself. They were so beautiful and perfectly smooth and brown and the smell…omigod, Mary, the aroma. It was hypnotic. I just had to try one."

"Okay, enough," Mike's description was getting a little too creepy for her. "We can deal with this. We'll just rearrange them in the box and Jillian will never know."

The look on Mike's face told her there was more he wasn't telling her.

"Mike? You didn't eat just one, did you?" Mike responded by shaking his head vigorously back and forth.

"How many?"

"All of them," he said in a trembling voice.

"WHAT!"

"Ssshhh," he glanced around nervously, making sure Mary's outburst hadn't drawn the attention of anyone they knew. "I know. I know. I have a problem. I admit that. What are we going to do?"

"We? You're the one who couldn't tell Ed you were a recovering chocoholic. Why is this my problem?"

"Fine…fine…you wanna tell Dylan that his Grandpa Ed is in the state pen for murdering his Uncle Mikey…you go right ahead."

Mary sighed and threw her head back in exasperation. "Alright…I'll help you, but you owe me--BIG TIME!"

It took Mary the rest of the afternoon, but she finally found a chocolatier in Vegas who was willing to replicate the famous candies. It cost Mike a pretty penny, but it was nothing compared to what it would cost him if Ed ever found out.

---

"Hey, gorgeous." Mary felt her husband's firm body behind her as she stood at the check-in desk.

"Hey, sweetie." She leaned her head back and to the side to allow him to place a tender kiss on her lips. "How's your day going?"

"Typical Valentine's Day. I've caught six couples having sex in the elevators today."

"Well, love is in the air."

"Yeah, well I wish they'd just keep it in their pants until they got to their rooms," Danny leaned his chin on Mary's shoulder as she signed off on the latest admin schedules and handed them back to the clerk. "Speaking of rooms," Danny nuzzled the side of her face, nibbling lightly on her ear. "…someone dropped off this keycard to a room at the Palms. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you, Mrs. McCoy?"

Mary turned in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hmmm. Maybe. But you should probably go check it out for yourself."

"Oh, I'll definitely be there. Should I bring anything?"

"Just your cute little tush." Mary punctuated her sentence with a firm smack to his backside. Danny squeaked in surprise before leaning in to capture her lips, but his attempt was interrupted.

"Miss McCoy?"

"Milo? What…are you doing here?" Milo had been a guest of the hotel last week. He was perfectly nice, but a bit lovesick. Desperate for companionship he had planned a romantic weekend in Vegas for a woman he'd met on the internet only to have her take him for every penny he'd brought with him. He definitely had a few things to learn about women.

"And why are you dressed like that?" He was wearing what could only be described as a diaper. He had a pair of plastic wings strapped to his back and a crown of gold foil on top of his head.

"Miss McCoy—I thought a lot about what you said. You were so kind to me and I felt like we really shared a connection. I listened to your advice and my intuition is telling me that you are the one for me."

"Oh, Milo…no," she tried to stop him, but it was too late. He'd already broken into song. He gestured wildly with his arms as he crooned to Mary, very loud and horribly off-key.

_Just smile for me and let the day begin _

_You are the sunshine that lights my heart within _

_I'm sure that you're an angel in disguise _

_Come take my hand and together we will rise_

_ON THE WINGS OF LOVE.._

_UP AND ABOVE THE CLOUDS _

_THE ONLY WAY TO FLY…_

His voice broke on the last note and Mary couldn't take anymore. "MILO!"

The poor kid stopped mid-chorus and looked at Mary with a devastated expression.

"Milo, I'm very flattered, but I'm a happily married woman," she held up her left hand so that the diamonds of her ring were clearly visible.

"In fact, this is my husband, right here." Mary turned towards Danny who had been suspiciously quiet up until this point. He was grinning like crazy—clearly enjoying the show. Mary elbowed him hard in the stomach to get his attention.

Danny wasn't really sure what was expected of him in this situation. It was obvious Milo was not a threat, but Mary's actions had indicated she wanted him to say something. "Yeah, um…Milo, uh…Mary's taken so… you know… if you know what's good for you…you'll stay away from my wife." Noticing the terrified look on the young man's face and the incredulous glare he was now receiving from his wife, Danny realized he'd said the wrong thing. He glanced around the casino for a moment before inspiration struck and he quickly changed course.

"Look, Milo. I'm going to do you a favor. I think I know the perfect woman for you. She's smart, she's funny, cute as hell…"

"Really?"

"Yeah. Her name's Sam and she's right over there."

"Danny!" Mary tried to cut in, but Danny had already put his arm around Milo and was leading him towards the casino host.

"The lovely Ms. Marquez? I saw her last week. She didn't seem very nice."

"That's just a front she puts up. She's really a big softie and she loves guys in diapers."

"Should I just go up to her?"

"Oh yeah. And sing her the song--chicks really dig the song."

"Thanks, man. Oh, and sorry about the whole 'hitting on your wife' thing."

"No problem, big guy--happens all the time."

Mary walked up behind her husband and punched him hard in the arm. "OW!"

"Why would you do something like that to that poor kid? Sam is going to eat him alive."

"Trust me," Danny said as he pulled out his phone and hit 4 on the speed dial. Mary noticed Sam across the casino pull out her phone.

"Hey, Sam. There's a half-naked guy headed your way. He's a little eccentric, but his family is worth millions. Be nice to him, okay?"

Danny snapped his phone shut and turned to his wife whose face had split into a huge grin. "What?" he asked, a matching grin on his face.

Mary grabbed him by the tie and pulled his face close to hers. "You are sooo getting lucky tonight."

---

Danny used the keycard to enter their suite at the Palms. He'd always been the one to plan their Valentine's Day celebrations, but Mary had taken the lead this year. As the door closed behind him he immediately noticed the flashing lights in the room and he heard the first notes of Aerosmith through the surround sound speakers. Walking down the small hallway and into the living area his mouth dropped open in shock as he realized exactly which suite Mary had reserved for them. Comfortable chairs surrounded a small stage in the middle of the floor while his beautiful wife stood provocatively wrapped around a metal pole—dressed only in one of his white dress shirts and a loosely knotted tie.

Danny moved towards the center of the room and took Mary's hand as she carefully stepped down from the platform. He was speechless as she helped him into one of the chairs and stood back up—moving her body in a tantalizing rhythm to the music. She slowly removed the shirt and tie until she was standing before her husband in nothing but a red lace bra and matching panties. Before Danny could touch her she was back on the stage, swinging around the pole like a pro. Danny didn't want to know where she'd learned to move like that, but he was pretty sure it was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen in his life. Mary left the stage again and moved into his lap, her back to his chest. Holding his hands against her thighs, she sensuously rotated her hips until he was sure he would spontaneously combust with pleasure.

"Do you know how amazing you are?" Danny whispered in her ear before moving his arms up to encircle her waist. He helped Mary stand and turned her so she was facing him. "Do you?" Her eyes welled with tears as his gaze bore into her soul and for a moment she wondered if he actually expected her to answer.

"I love you," she told him. "I just want to make you happy."

"You do, Mary—every day." Danny scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

They made love throughout the night until the first rays of sunshine cast a warm glow over the room. Mary's head was on Danny's chest as he softly pulled his fingers through her hair—both of them staring out the window at the Las Vegas skyline.

"What are you thinking about?" she softly asked.

"How lucky I am. How many guys have wives who would rent out the stripper pole room at the Palms and put on a show like I got last night?" Mary chuckled at the awe still clearly evident in his voice. "Seriously, Mary, it was incredible. In my wildest dreams I never imagined…"

"Never?"

"Okay, well maybe there were a few dreams…" They both shared a laugh and a few more kisses before Danny asked her the same question.

"What about you? What are you thinking about?

"I was wondering if Ed and Jillian are up yet." Mary worried her bottom lip as she glanced up to see Danny's reaction.

"You ready to go already?"

"I just miss him, I guess. I mean last night was incredible, Danny, and I know we need time together, but it's just like… there's something missing. Not between us, but…"

"No, I know what you mean. I love hearing his little voice on the baby monitor every morning—even if it does come at the most inopportune times. And something is missing when he's not around. Dylan is our life now and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"So?" Mary asked expectantly.

"So, let's get dressed and go get the little guy."

Mary threw her arms around Danny and peppered his face with kisses. "I love you—I love you—I love you."

"Mmmm. I love you too," he told her as she pulled him from the bed and toward the shower.

"I thought we were getting ready?" Danny asked confused.

"We are. It'll be quicker if we shower together," Mary said with a grin. Danny didn't see how that was possible, but he certainly wasn't going to argue.


End file.
